Pokemon XYZ: The Shadow Project
by marcus00721
Summary: A promising tournament is open to all regions, where they will take the best of the best and battle it out against each other to see which one reigns victorious! However, in the shadows...an old darkness lurks...
1. Chapter 1

The world of Pokémon. Vast, explored and unexplored…there are still many mysteries lingering throughout the world that have yet to be explained. There are those who delve into Pokémon research for the benefit of the world, while there are also those who use their findings for evil…

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Within a lab in an undisclosed location, several scientists were testing something on a Tyranitar. This beast didn't seem too pleased to be confined and trashed about in the containment tube, worrying some of the scientist. "I don't understand why the boss left this thing with us…he knows it's a monster…!" A scientist mumbled.

"I am aware…" Ein spoke. The former scientist from the Cipher Organization spoke. The male remained calm despite the angry Tyranitar, this wasn't his first time dealing with Pokémon of that nature. Though he did have worries of a worst case scenario occurring. "Should things get bad, we will just resort to that one method. Everything is fine, we have contingency plans."

"Haaaaaa…" This voice also belonged to a member of Cipher; Lovrina. This teenage girl waved her hand before placing her hands on her hips. "Ein, please be a dear and hurry it up. The boss is getting a little impatient…."

"Don't rush my genius. I've been in this situation before, Lovrina." Ein spoke with some agitation in his voice. Soon, a red alert started to sound as the Tyranitar became uncooperatively violent, smashing its head against the glass and causing it to crack. "Tch…! It's trying to break out! Everyone, evacuate!" Right as Ein made this order, Tyranitar unleashed a Hyper Beam upon the containment unit, resulting in a large scale explosion…

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Ash and his companions, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, happened to run into another group of three trainers at the Pokémon center, and were now using the battlefield in the back: A male with black hair and blue eyes, a female with brown hair and blue eyes, and another, shorter female with blond hair and green eyes. Marcus, Grace, and Kasumi, respectively. Whenever trainers met, it was always the first instinct to greet one another with a battle, and Ash was of course always raring to go! "All right then…!" Marcus was serving as the referee for this match; Ash on one end, Kasumi on the other. "This will be a one-on-one! The battle is over when one pokemon is unable to battle!"

"Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash exclaimed with a grin on his face. On that cue Pikachu hopped from his shoulder and landed on the battlefield in a battle ready position, electricity sparking from his red cheeks.

"Pikachu? It's so cute!" Kasumi chirped before pulling out a pokeball from the belt around her skirt. "Okay! Dragonite, take the stage!" Throwing the capsule forward, it opened up, a bright white light emitting from the open ball before revealing Dragonite; the dragon Pokémon let out a powerful roar before turning its gaze to Pikachu.

"Whoa! It's huge…!" Bonnie's eyes widened at the Dragonite, giving a large grin at it.

"A Dragonite…you don't see those often…" Clemont said while adjusting his glasses. "It certainly looks like a strong opponent…"

"Dragonite…" Serena pulled out her pokedex, pointing it to the Dragonite.

'Dragonite: The Dragon Pokemon. Dragonite is said to live in the sea. With its small wings and large body, it is known to fly faster than the speed of sound.'

"Wow…" Serena's eyes lit up at the Dragonite. "It seems really strong."

"Practically the strongest Dragonite I've seen." Grace said while wagging her finger, giving a somewhat sly grin.

"Are both trainers ready…?" Marcus held his hand up, looking between Ash and Kasumi, both of which gave a nod. "Then begin!"

Trainer Battle: Ash vs. Kasumi! 1 v 1: Pikachu vs. Dragonite!

"All right! Pikachu, let's go! Quick Attack!" Ash pointed his hand forward as he and his longtime partner made the first move. With a firm nod, Pikachu rushed forward with incredible speed, darting towards Dragonite while closing the distance rapidly.

"Not so fast!" Kasumi exclaimed. "Dragonite, Heat Wave!" Dragonite wasted no time in rearing its wings back before flapping them forcefully. This caused a powerful wave of heat to fly forward in Pikachu's direction. The opposing force of the Heat Wave slowed Pikachu down considerably and he had come to a halt to hold his ground. "There! Now, Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite then gathered energy in its mouth; opening up to release a multicolored beam of energy that took the shape of a roaring dragon, and it was aimed directly for Pikachu.

The Heat Wave subsided, though Pikachu was only to get right out of the frying pan and into the oven! Dragon Pulse was rapidly approaching; however Ash already had a plan in mind. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikachuuu!" Lightning surged around Pikachu's body briefly before shooting towards the incoming Dragon Pulse. The two attacks clashed for a second before ending in a stalemate of an explosion, creating a cloud of smoke.

"Now, Iron Tail!" With the smoke as cover, Ash commanded Pikachu to make the next move. Following up quickly, Pikachu leapt into the air with his tail glowing a bright white light. Before Kusumi or Dragonite could react, Pikachu slammed his solid-steel tail into Dragonite's skull, crushing it into the ground just as the smoke cleared.

"Dragonite, are you okay?!" Kasumi questioned with widened eyes from the direct hit, but Dragonite stood up and nodded, doing its best to shrug off the powerful hit. "Whew, okay!"

The sound of battle attracted a few others from inside the center. Two more females emerged; one with blue hair and hazel eyes, wearing an outfit quite similar to one of those Sinnoh Ace trainers. "What's going on here…?"

Not too far away from the Pokémon Center, another blonde female happen to be watching the battle occurring. Her eyes however were glued to the Dragonite battling Pikachu, quirking a brow at it. "Huh…"

"Dragon Rush!" With that command, multicolored energy surrounded Dragonite's being and it flew forward with the aura of a dragon around its body. It dove directly towards Pikachu with incredible speed.

"Jump over it with Iron Tail!" Ash commanded. Pikachu darted forward, nearly meeting Dragonite halfway before slamming his tail into the ground, propelling high into the air behind and over Dragonite; precisely what Ash was aiming for. "Now! Electro Ball!"

"Pika…!" On the tip of his tail, Pikachu began to form a sphere of electricity that he prepared to launch right at Dragonite.

"I won't let you!" Kasumi spoke with a sudden grin. "Dragonite, Aqua Tail!" Dragonite stopped its charge, allowing the energy from around its body to disperse before pointing its tail up at Pikachu. Several wings of water shot forth from its tail and caught Pikachu all the way up in the air, keeping him trapped temporarily.

"Wha…!?" Ash couldn't believe it!

"No way…!" Serena was in just as much shock.

"Now, slam it down!" Kasumi commanded. On that cue, Dragonite let out a roar before slamming Pikachu down into the battlefield, causing the ground to shake slightly from impact.

"Pi…" Pikachu was on all fours, panting heavily while trying to get his bearings straight. It seemed that moving was difficult for the little mouse at the moment.

"Let's finish it! Dragon Rush!" Once more, Dragonite bolted towards Pikachu with a powerful aura around its body.

"Pikachu, dodge it with Quick Attack!" Ash commanded, and Pikachu, as always, did his best to comply. However he winced and that one second of being unable to move spelt the end. Dragonite slammed into Pikachu and sent him flying into a nearby stone well, swirls in his eyes to signify the KO.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Dragonite is the victor! Which means…!" Marcus was going to continue, however he was halted by Kasumi.

"Hold on now…!" Kasumi shook her head, leaving the others confused. Especially Ash as he carried Pikachu from the wall to the bench to rest up. "I want a little more from you. That was kinda fun…so one more Pokémon, please?"

"She's making those eyes again…" Grace said while pinching the bridge of her nose. "She better not be trying to do 'that'…that's the last thing we need to deal with now…"

"If it happens I don't know if I should call it or not…" Marcus sighed before complying to Kasumi's request. "Well…if Ash wants to then I don't see the problem…"

"Well…" Admittedly, it was a little strange to change the rules like this. But he didn't mind! "Sure!" Ash nodded before pulling out another pokeball. "Greninja, let's go!" From this capsule, Greninja appeared, crossing its arms while staring at Dragonite. Both of these Pokémon gave one another an intense stare…

Kasumi paused for a moment, being able to detect something oddly familiar about the Greninja before them. "This Greninja…I feel something from it…it makes me excited. Okay, Dragonite, let's give this one our all too, no one can beat us at our best!" Dragonite nodded firmly and got into position.

"Heh…" Ash smirked at Kasumi's confidence; it reminded him of his own and that got his battle spirit flaring. "Let's go, Greninja!"

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Roughly about half a mile from the Pokemon Center, a group of masked people in colored suits set up a small base camp. One of them opened up a map, pointing to the Pokemon Center not too far off. "This is the target. The boss wishes for us to take as many Pokémon as we possibly can. As long as we come back with results, the amount does not matter."

"This is fine…" A female nodded. "We're going to be in and out. If anyone opposes us in this operation, then they will meet their end, simple as that. Does anyone have any questions?" Within their small group, everyone gave several nods of affirmation. With that…the mission was set to start.

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Next Time: Assault!


	2. Chapter 2: Assault!

Pointing his finger forward, Ash commanded Greninja to attack. "Water Shuriken!" With this command, Greninja leapt into the air, using its abilities to create two shurikens of water in its hands, which it then threw forward at rapid speed towards Dragonite.

"Dragonite, Heat Wave!" Katie exclaimed. Dragonite then flapped its wings, releasing yet another wave of heat towards the incoming Water Shurikens. The two opposing elements clashed before erupting in a powerful cloud of smoke and steam, obscuring the battlefield from view. "Gah…!"

"Now! Use Cut!" Ash was not going to let up for a second! Greninja landed on the ground and darted forward with incredible speed, drawing forth a shining blade from its hip. Once close it swung its new blade at Dragonite's chest, forcing it to slide back across the field.

"Guh…" Kasumi flinched from Dragonite receiving damage, but shook it off. "Are you okay!?" The dragon Pokémon gave a nod to show it was still capable of fighting. "Excellent! Aqua Tail!" On that cue, Dragonite's tail became wrapped in rings of water once again.

"Double Team!" Ash quickly shouted, causing Greninja to split into multiple copies within the blink of an eye. Where was the real one!? Nobody had any way of knowing, just as Ash was intending.

Dragonite seemed confused at the multiple Greninjas spreading out along the battlefield. However, Kasumi wore a simple grin on her lips. "That's a cute trick…but you're not going to be escaping us that easily. Dragonite, slam your tail into the ground and release Aqua Tail!" Doing as told, Dragonite slammed the tip of its tail into the ground and released the pent up water; this caused multiple geysers of spiraling water to shoot up from the battlefield, taking multiple Greninja images out in the process.

"Ah…!" Serena herself was caught off guard from Kasumi's quick thinking.

"She used to participate in contests back in Hoenn." Grace said while wagging a finger. "That and the gym challenges…really, she's got quite a lot on her plate, so don't be surprised if she's 2-0."

The use of Aqua Tail did catch the real Greninja, throwing it into the air with a pained grunt. This was a problem, as the spirals of water were still scattered about the arena and landing was going to be near impossible without being in a disadvantage situation. Ash narrowed his eyes before getting an idea now that they were in the air. "Greninja! Use Cut!" Following orders, Greninja pulled out two glowing blades and spun around rapidly. Due to its strength it was able to cleave through the spirals of water with ease, much to Kasumi's surprise.

"Huh…!?" Kasumi gasped.

"Now! Aerial Ace!" Once landing on the ground, Greninja darted forward with glowing fists and feet. Once reaching Dragonite it slammed its fist into the dragon's gut, following up with a fierce axe kick to its skull to drive it so fiercely into the ground it shattered slightly; after, Greninja leapt away to gain distance.

"Oh my…" Marcus blinked. "That was fierce…..is Dragonite down…?"

"Dragonite…!" Kasumi cried out. Slowly, Dragonite picked itself up, a little dizzy but fine nonetheless. "Great…this is great!" Her heart was pumping. "I've been waiting to go all out like this!" There was a strange aura circulating around herself and Dragonite. "Let's go Dragonite, full power…!"

"Let's go, Greninja!" Ash had the same thought. Greninja's eyes began to grow a bright red as everyone's favorite unison was about to occur! Heck, even Zygarde poked its head out from Bonnie's pouch to watch.

"That's enough!" Marcus suddenly called the fight, completely cutting the tension of the battle. "I'll call this a draw!"

"What the heck!?" Kasumi marched over to Marcus and started yelling. "What's the big idea!? It was getting good!"

"Yes, but you know precisely why it had to be cut short." Grace interrupted, placing her hands on her hips. "You get too excited, then that thing happens which you can't handle." Hearing this, Kasumi pouted and crossed her arms.

"I don't really understand what's going on here…" Serena said while rubbing the back of her head. "But it was a good fight nonetheless!"

"Yes!" Bonnie exclaimed while throwing her arms up….and in the next instant she was on a knee, one hand extended towards Kasumi. "Now…would you please have my brother!? He could use a strong trainer like you!"

"E-Excuse me…!?" Kasumi's face lit up in a bright red hue.

"BONNIE." Clemont was always embarrassed whenever his little sister did this without warning. From his bag, a hand shot out to grab Bonnie by the back of her shirt and pull her away. "I told you to stop doing that…!"

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"Your Pokémon have fully recovered." Nurse Joy smiled at Ash and Kasumi, handing Ash Pikachu and Greninja's Pokeball while handing Kasumi Dragonite's. "We hope to see you again!"

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Ash and Kasumi spoke in unison before moving to sit down with the others once again.

"So, you three are all from Kanto?" Clemont asked while adjusting his glasses.

"That's right." Grace nodded. Before she could continue, the blue haired female from before happened to walk in on them.

"You two." She pointed at Ash and Kasumi. "That was quite the impressive battle you had. Shame it had to be cut short."

"Oh, it wasn't anything special!" Ash grinned. "But I'm glad you enjoyed it. Uh…who are you."

"Elizabeth." The female replied while giving a flip of her hair. "I'm here in Kalos to see how the results turn out…but it seems like their tournament hasn't started just yet."

"Tournament..?" Clemont blinked.

"Ah…you haven't heard?" Elizabeth was about to explain…but that was when the power cut off and the Pokémon Center immediately fell into a small panic. The backup power then turned on, only giving some light in the center. "What the…!?"

"What's going on…!?" Bonnie asked while looking around.

"A power outage…?" Nurse Joy was beginning to worry herself. "This isn't the time…there are still Pokémon that need treatment…" She then turned to her Chansey assistant. "Please, go make sure those still in treatment are okay!"

"Nurse Joy…!" Serena and Bonnie ran up to Nurse Joy. "Let us help too! We've done this before!"

"Okay…thank you…" Nurse Joy was glad to have some assistance on her side.

"There seem to be some suspicious people looming about outside…do you think they had something to do with this…?" Grace offered the suggestion. "Actually…what if they're stealing Pokémon!?"

"That would be easy for them in this condition…" Clemont adjusted his glasses. "Nurse Joy, allow me to examine the generator! I may be able to fix it. Ash, will you and the others go search the area? These people couldn't have gotten too far!"

"Right!" Ash nodded.

"Allow me to join you." Elizabeth nodded. "I have my suspicions about something already."

"Let's split up and look!" Marcus suggested. On that cue the five trainers left the Center, while Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont did their best to keep the facility running even within this panic.

Nearby in disguises, Jessie, James, and Meowth were watching everything going down, seemingly annoyed with hit. "Who's stealing our gig…!?" Meowth hissed.

"I don't like this…you don't think it's those people in orange suits again…?" James questioned.

"No…this seems beneath them…" Jessie grumbled. "But mark my words…whoever it is that's stealing Team Rocket's shtick!"

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Ash and Marcus took to the east. There was an obvious trail for them to follow, where it led was the big question. "Do you know anyone who would take Pokémon like this?" Marcus asked Ash.

"There's Team Rocket…but they'd make something like this a little more obvious…" Ash admitted. He didn't mean to throw shade at them but it was just…true. They weren't exactly the most covert bunch.

"Hmmm…" Marcus had no clue then. It was right at that moment that a spider web nearly glued him to the ground, but he jumped out of the way just in the nick of time. "What the…!?" Sliding back, he and Ash looked around for the culprit.

Two Chiper Peons dropped down from the trees nearby, one commanding an Ariados and the other commanding a Bisharp. "So, we were being followed after all…" Peon #1 grumbled. "Too bad for you, we're not who you're looking for."

"A distraction…" Ash grit his teeth. "So where are the Pokémon!?"

"Not with us." Peon #2 said with a slight smirk. "Sorry…but you two now know a little too much for comfort. We're going to have to eliminate you."

"Fat chance!" Pulling out a Pokeball, Marcus threw the capsule forward to release a Staravia. The bird Pokémon flew up before landing just in front of its trainer, letting out a caw.

"Hawlucha, you're up!" Ash called out the luchador Pokémon, who flexed upon being called out. "Let's go, Marcus!"

"Right!" Marcus nodded.

Battle! Vs. Chiper Peons! Hawlucha and Staravia vs. Ariados and Bisharp!

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Elizabeth and Grace took to the north. There was nothing in particular for them to follow or look into but they had to check all the possible escape routes. "You seem tense." Elizabeth quirked her brow while staring at Grace. "I promise you I don't bite."

"That's not it…" Grace shook her head slowly. "I just don't think letting Kasumi to go off on her own was the best idea…she tends to get carried away when it comes to her and Dragonite…but maybe I'm just worrying too much…anyways…I haven't seen hide nor hair of these people…"

"Indeed…" Elizabeth nodded. "The Pokémon stolen could potentially still be injured and are waiting to be treated…I will not forgive those who steal other people's Pokémon, especially from a Pokémon Center…" She was getting a little riled up about this, but remained level headed nonetheless.

It wasn't long before a single Chiper Peon appeared before the two females. Just like the others, he too was empty handed, but he wore a smirk nonetheless. "Well…what do we have here? You two lost or somethin'?"

"He's empty handed…" Elizabeth deduced. "But he may know where his cohorts have gone…"

"Maybe…but even if I tell you…" Throwing a pokeball out, the Chiper Peon released a very threatening Golurk; the titan towered above the two female trainers. "It won't do you any good, you're dead anyway."

"So they're this serious…" Grace muttered quietly before throwing her own Pokeball forward. Venusaur, let's go!" The capsule released Venusaur, who let out a battle ready cry.

"I suppose we have no choice then…" Elizabeth gave a flip of her hair while pulling out her own Pokeball. "I will make sure to extract whatever information you have out of you. Charizard, come out." Throwing her pokeball forward, her Charizard was called out, roaring alongside Venusaur. "So you can either come peacefully with the both of us and cooperate until Officer Jenny arrives…or we can do this the hard way. It doesn't really matter to me…" There was then a twinkle in the female's eyes as she ended her statement. "…because you're coming with us in the end."

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Next Time: Shadow Power.


	3. Chapter 3: Shadow Power

Kasumi ended up finding the one who stole the Pokeballs from the Center. This Chiper Peon was a rather bulky male carrying a sack full of the stolen Pokeballs. "Hey! You! Cease!" Kasumi ordered, and her frantic yelling was enough to catch this male's attention.

"Ah…" The Chiper Peon halted and dropped the bag, turning around to face Kasumi. "Oh…you're just a little string bean…"

Though she was infuriated by that comment, the stolen Pokémon held more concern to her. "Give back those Pokémon, they don't belong to you and they're penis injured!"

"What are you gonna do if I don't?" The masked male gave a condescending sneer that just continued to enrage Kasumi.

"I'm gonna kick your butt, that's what!" Kasumi exclaimed while throwing out a Pokeball, calling forth Dragonite. "We're not going to let you get away with that!"

"Heh…" The Chiper Peon let out a small chuckle before throwing out his own Pokeball. "Hydreigon, let's show this impudent brat what for! Dragon Breath!" The three headed dragon let out a roar, opening all three mouths and simultaneously releasing three thick green beams towards Dragonite.

"Dragon Pulse!" Kasumi commanded. On that cue Dragonite opened its mouth to release a multicolored beam of energy towards the incoming Dragon Breath. Dragon Pulse clashed with Dragon Breath, a stalemate occurring before the power collapsed on itself and exploded, creating a cloud of smoke. "Tch…!"

"Body Slam!" Hydreigon flew into the air above the smoke, now dropping down towards Dragonite rapidly. Before Kasumi could utter another command, Dragonite was crushed under Hydreigon's weight, letting out a cry of pain in the process.

"Dragonite…!" Kasumi cried out in worry. Dragonite picked itself up and nodded to say it was still okay. "Right…no, Heat Wave!" Dragonite flapped its wings, releasing a powerful wave of heat towards Hydreigon.

"Fly up!" The Peon commanded. Hydreigon didn't waste a second and flew into the air to avoid the Heat Wave.

Kasumi didn't miss a beat; the Peon played right into her hands and she grinned. "Aqua Tail!" As soon as Hydreigon flew up, Dragonite beat the three headed beast into the air with rings of water already surrounding its tail. Before Hydreigon could react, Dragonite slammed its watery tail into the opposing dragon, crushing it into the ground before flying back. "Yeah, that's right!"

"Tch…" The Peon sucked his teeth in annoyance. "What an annoying brat…I didn't want to have to do this, but now you've left me with little choice. "Hydreigon, Shadow Rush."

"Shadow Rush…" Kasumi blinked. "I've never heard of that…it must be a Ghost or Dark type move…!" She didn't even have the chance to figure it out; a dark aura briefly shrouded Hydreigon and it charged forward recklessly, slamming into Dragonite with considerable power. Dragonite was flung backwards, flying through several trees before coming to a halt. "DRAGONITE!"

"Dragon Breath!" On that command, Hydreigon released another series of green beams, this time towards Kasumi. The blonde was hit and thrown off her feet, crashing into a tree before falling onto her stomach, coughing a few times.

"Ugh…t-that was dirty…" Kasumi groaned while pulling herself to all fours, glaring up at the Cipher Peon, who just gave a smarmy smile. "D-Dragonite…are you okay…?" Dragonite managed to lift itself up, but the damage Shadow Rush dealt was astronomically high.

"Give it up." The Peon grinned.

"No…!" Kasumi clenched her hand into a fist. "We will not…let you…steal those Pokémon…" At this moment, she and Dragonite were preforming the exact same motions, both standing up with a fierce red glow shining in their eyes. "We swear to you…"

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"Hawlucha, Karate Chop!" Ash shouted. Hawlucha rushed towards Bisharp with glowing hands, preparing to deliver a series of swift chops to Bisharp.

"Metal Claw!" Peon #2 Exclaimed. Bisharp's hands were coated in a silver aura and it lunged towards Hawlucha, the two meeting in fierce close combat. Neither side was giving an inch and the slightest movement would have costed them!

"Ariados, Sludge Bomb!" #1 shouted. The arachnid pointed its head towards Staravia, releasing several poisonous bombs in the avian's direction.

"Aerial Ace!" Marcus shouted. Staravia flew into the air to avoid the Sludge Bombs, now rushing towards Ariados with incredible speed before slamming into it full force. The super effective move knocked Ariados off its feet and onto the ground on its back. "Nice one"

Meanwhile, Hawlucha was steadily gaining the upperhand in combat against Bisharp. One misstep from Bisharp left it completely open and two Karate Chops were more than enough to send it flying back, stunned from the damage it took. Seeing the long awaited opening, Ash grinned. "There we go! Now, High Jump Kick!"

"Spider Web!" #1 shouted suddenly. Ariadoes released a thick web that stuck to the ground, gluing Hawlucha to its spot.

"Heh…" #2 found this to be the opportune moment to strike now that Bisharp could recover in peace. "Now…Guillotine." Blades appeared on Bisharp's arms and it lunged towards Hawlucha, preparing to finish it off in a single strike. Just as it slashed…it whiffed! "What the…?!"

Staravia grabbed Hawlucha by the shoulders with its talons and lifted it into the air, having just a bit of trouble staying airborne due to its weight. "Ready!?" Marcus questioned.

"Yeah!" Ash nodded.

"Throw it!" Marcus commanded, and by using all of its might, Staravia launched Hawlucha towards Bisharp at incredible speeds.

"Flying Press!" Shouted Ash. The luchador Pokémon tucked its body in mid descend to increase its falling speed. Before either Chiper Peon could react, Hawlucha spread its arms out once more and its body fell right onto Bisharp's with such force a mini tremor occurred. When the smoke cleared, Bisharp was lying in KO and Hawlucha landed with a flex after.

"Double Edge!" Now it was Staravia's turn. The bird Pokémon tucked its wings in while recklessly diving towards Ariados. The strong Normal type attack connected and was more than enough to send Ariados flying back, also lying in KO next to Bisharp. "Excellent!"

"Tch…" Both Chiper Peons were in a pickle now having been defeated. "These kids…" It was then that a draconic roar echoed throughout the woods, a pillar of multicolored energy shooting up into the sky from one location.

"Wha…!?" Ash's eyes widened. "W-what's going on over there…!?"

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"Fire Punch!" Elizabeth commanded. Charizard's fist lit up in fierce flames before it flew forward. Before the lone Peon was able to react, Chaziard landed its fiery punch against Golurk's board chest with enough power to send it skidding backwards. "Don't let up! Dragon Tail!" One command after another, and Charizard was quick to comply. Green energy wrapped around Charizard's tail, strengthening it as the fire pokemon slammed its tail into the ghost type's chest.

"Gah..!" The Chiper Peon grunted in surprise as his Golurk was easily thrown back by the two attacks. "W-Wait a second…! We're not going down like this! Shadow Punch, go!" Golurk regained its balance before thrusting its arm forward. From its fist, a shadowy replica shot forward and struck Charizard in the chest with enough force to send it backwards. "Now, Shadow Ball!" A consecutive attack! Golurk followed up Shadow Punch with Shadow Ball, hurling the onyx sphere towards Charizard as it tried to recover.

To that…Grace merely gave a flip of her hair. It was at that second that an aura of overwhelmingly powerful confidence filled the area. "Pitiful. Venusaur, use Razor Leaf." Venusaur gave a simple nod before releasing several razor sharp leaves that raced towards the incoming Shadow Ball. The oncoming sphere was cut through like butter and the remaining leaves struck Golurk, causing it to topple over without much of a fight. Golurk was defeated.

"Wha…!?" The Peon was surprised at his Pokémon's defeat. "W-Why me!? Why couldn't you have run into Cravix…"

Elizabeth kept a cool composure, but on the inside…she felt the same way as the Peon. Even though Razor Leaf was super effective against a ground type like Golurk it went down so quickly. No...that wasn't quite right. The effort put into putting down Golurk was...nonexistent for Grace and Venusaur. "This girl…" The thought raced through her head so quickly even she couldn't finish it.

As quickly Grace's confident appeared, it vanished and she displayed a sweet smile. "Well, that takes care of that, doesn't it? Unfortunately he's empty handed…but that shouldn't stop us from prodding every little bit of information out of him until Officer Jenny arrives, right?"

Snapping out of her shocked trance, Elizabeth nodded and cracked her knuckles with a sly grin. "Right…" Before anything else occurred, a burst of multicolored energy shot into the sky, taking the shape of a dragon before shimmering down. "Huh!?"

"Wha…!?" The Chiper Peon leapt back in surprise.

Grace, however…she was a little less surprised and more so worried about what it was that just occurred. "Oh no…not now…"

Hearing that whisper, Elizabeth turned to Grace. "Wait…you know what that was!?"

"I can't explain it now!" Without another word, Grace had to go. She bolted off and left Elizabeth with the Chiper Peon…who used this distraction as a perfect time to release a smoke bomb that allowed him to escape.

"Ugh…" Coughing, Elizabeth wasn't surprised to see that the Peon escaped. So without pondering too much on the situation she followed behind Grace.

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By the time Ash, Marcus, Grace, and Elizabeth arrived on the scene…the battle was already over The Hydreigon suffered a crushing defeated. An odd veil of energy faded from around Kasumi and Dragonite, both trainer and pokemon falling onto their knees and panting heavily. "Ah…I win…ugh…" Kasumi then collapsed onto her side, passing out on the spot.

"Kasumi…!" Wasting not a second, Grace went over to Kasumi to lift her up. "She's injured…"

"Gah…" The Peon now known as Cravix grit his teeth at the defeated Hydreigon. "T-That girl…that Dragonite…there's nothing normal about either of them!" He was too in shock to even try to explain what happened. Instead, he quickly returned his Hydreigon and disappeared as fast as he could without getting caught, leaving the sack filled with Pokeballs behind.

Elizabeth and Ash went over to the sack; it took both of them to lift it up due to how heavy it was. "This is kinda heavy…but now I have to ask…did we win…?" Ash questioned.

"I think so…" Elizabeth nodded, though her concerned gaze went to Kasumi and her Dragonite. One was unconscious and the other was severely injured, likely due to the battle that took place. "But I have to wonder…what happened with those two…?"

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Next Time: Tournament Prep


	4. Chapter 4: Tournament Prep

The doors to the Pokémon Center slid open. The power was back on thanks to Clemont and his genius. Ash and Elizabeth dragged in the batch of stolen pokeballs, must to the delight of the worried trainers, while Marcus and Grace had to hoist in the injured Kasumi. "What happened…!?" Serena asked. "Are you all okay…!?"

"Some of us made it out better than others…" Grace said while glancing at Kasumi. "She'll be okay…just patch her up with some bandages and let her rest. Is everything working again?"

"Yes!" Clemont nodded. "It wasn't hard to fix…whoever those people were weren't looking to completely disable the power. It must have been for distraction purposes only. Who were those people…?"

"We can worry about that later." Grace nodded before turning to Nurse Joy. "Can you help treat me friend and her Dragonite…after everyone else of course?"

With a smile, Nurse Joy gave a slight bow and nodded. "Of course. It's the least I can do for those who helped saved this Center." Her attention then turned to all of the trainers in the building. "Don't worry everyone, Chansey and I will take care of everything from here!" With those reassuring words, there was a breath of relief passing through the Pokémon Center.

Sometime later, Officer Jenny arrived on the scene. Though with little information to go on, there was not much she could do about the situation since the Cipher Peons had all run off. Still, it was something to note and she took this information back with her to notify the others. Now, it was time for people to finally relax.

Resting on a seat nearby, Marcus let out a heavy sigh. "Glad that's over with…who were those guys anyway…?"

With Kasumi in Nurse Joy's care now, Grace took a seat and gave a shrug. "Beats me…what was up with those outfits, though? Totally lame…"

"Tell me about it…" Elizabeth sighed. "I'm just glad we managed to nab those Pokémon back before anything serious could happen…"

"Oh…" Serena spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "Did anyone see what burst of energy earlier? It came out of nowhere and had everyone in the building really worried…"

"Yeah, yeah!" Bonnie nodded a few times. "It was so big…! Like…BOOM!" Using her arms, she tried her best to show what she meant by throwing her arms out. Dedende poke its head out from her pouch and followed suit along with her. Once she finished she tilted her head curiously while peering at the others. "What was that about?"

"Yes, I've been curious about that myself…" Elizabeth turned her eyes to Grace. "You were in quite the hurry to rush over to the location of that burst…so I can only assume that you know something about it."

"You were the same." Ash pointed at Marcus. "Is she going to be okay?"

Grace crossed her arms under her chest, letting out a slight sigh. "Kasumi will be okay. I…can't really explain what happened because the concept in itself is just unbelievable…but that burst of energy was the result of Kasumi and Dragonite being backed against the wall. It's something her body isn't exactly fit to take for certain…reasons. I can't really say too much, I don't know if she would be okay with me divulging anymore information to you all.."

"Don't talk about me like I'm dead!" Kasumi suddenly blurted out, causing everyone to jump. She had bandages around her left arm and forehead; otherwise she was looking okay for someone who was hit by a Hydreigon.

"She recovered fast…" Ash blinked.

"My situation is very…complicated." Kasumi nodded while placing her hands on her hips. "I wouldn't go worrying about lil old me, though! I can handle myself just fine! Same with Dragonite!"

"I'm attending your funeral only to say 'I told you so', if you keep this up." Grace's aura was so…cold. It took people off guard, even Kasumi.

"…Is she an Ice type…?" Bonnie questioned her older brother, who gave a slight shrug.

"A-Ah…" Kasumi rubbed the back of her head. It seemed the rigidity of Grace's remark reminded her of the situation she was in. "A-Anyway…I'm glad everything managed to turn out okay…" Attention then turned to Elizabeth. "You! You mentioned something about a tournament, right!?"

Elizabeth nodded, pointing over to the TV. "Yes, I was just about to mention that…however I'll let the news do it for me."

"Hello, Kalos Region!" The newscaster exclaimed to the entire region. "As many know, there will be a tournament held soon for the Pokémon World Tournament! Entry began in Kanto and has now finally arrived in Kalos after all this time. The top 8 trainers of each region get the chance to represent their region and face off against opposing top 8 trainers to see which region will reign as the champion! There have been several 'champions' of these tournaments, dangerous threats no doubt!"

As the screen flashed to the various champions of the region's respective tournaments, a flashing image of Elizabeth for Sinnoh was shown. "Hey wait…that's you!" Ash pointed. "You won in Sinnoh!?"

"Undefeated." There was obvious confidence in Elizabeth's voice. "Although…there weren't many trainers there that could hold a candle, excluding the one…but I doubt he wanted to be on a team of losers. Sinnoh probably won't do so well on the grand stage, so I dipped to see what Kalos had to offer. If it's no better, I can just go back. They told me so themselves."

"Undefeated in Sinnoh…" Ash was pretty impressed. Standing up, he pointed at Elizabeth with that challenging grin on his lips. "But! If we face off in the tournament, don't expect me to go easy on you!"

"It would be far less embarrassing for you if you actually tried…but the result would be the same anyway…" Elizabeth immediately shot back. The competitive spark in everyone was already rising just from talking about it!

"I suppose this will be a little fun…" Grace giggled slightly. "I want to see what everyone is capable of…it could be very exciting."

"Time to be the top!" Marcus and Kasumi exclaimed at the same time…before cutting their gazes at one another, comical sparks emitting from eye contact.

"Now now…let's save the excitement for when the fighting starts!" Serena said with a nervous sweat drop.

"Do you hear that…?" Meowth grinned at overhearing the discussion. "This is a chance to swipe a ton of super powerful Pokémon!"

"Jackpot!" Jessie and James whispered. "We're going to pilfer powerful Pokémon and give them all to the boss! Then Team Rocket will be at the top!"

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Just outside the Pokémon Center, a male with tan hair and a blue trench coat walked by, listening in on the news from his PDA. Closing the device, he shoved it into a pocket before looking up at the sky, a sly grin on his face. "Well…I suppose this will be as good a time as any to start."

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Next Time: Kalos Tournament: Round 1!


	5. Chapter 5: Kalos Tournament Round 1

Crowds of people gathered in Couriway Town for the beginning of the Kalos Tournament. It was no Kalos League, however there was still a large audience for people wanted to see the result of this regional tournament. The climb to top 8 was going to be the most exciting part about this: seeing who would represent the region against other regions! It wasn't quite time for the tournament just yet, so Ash and company wandered around the town while waiting for an announcement to be made. "Man, I can't wait!" Ash was brimming with excitement and he could hardly contain himself. "We're gonna make Top 8 for sure!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu threw his hand up in to the air to cheer along with Ash. The excitement was flooding over into his Pokémon, which wasn't a terrible thing in the slightest.

Seeing Ash's enthusiasm, Serena could not help but display a soft smile of her own. "I know it's going to be a fierce competition. I'll be rooting for you, Ash."

Shortly after her comment, Kasumi pulled Serena over to the side with a sly grin. "…You're totally crushing on him, aren't you?" The blonde whispered with a growing smile.

Serena's eyes widened at Kasumi's deduction and her cheeks began to heat up. "I-I…!"

Giggling softly Kasumi gave the flustered Serena a pat on the back. "That's adorable. If you need any pointers just come to me! I'm a master in this field you know."

"That's enough teasing…" Grace rolled her eyes.

"You have to let these things bloom on their own time, you know." Elizabeth commented.

"Mhm." Bonnie gave several nods of agreement. The girls knew exactly what it was that was going on…however the boys just stared at one another with confused expressions. It was going completely over their head.

"You guys understanding any of this…?" Marcus whispered to Ash and Clemont.

"Nope…" Ash shook his head.

"Not a clue…" Clemont was just as clueless as the rest of them.

To their expressions, the girls gave a shrug of their shoulders and sighed, saying one word in unison; "Boys…."

Moments later after walking around town, Marcus ended up accidently crashing into a female from not watching where he was going. "Oof…geez…!" Looking forward, he realized that this chance encounter was probably a blessing in disguise; the female he ran into had orange hair tied into pig tails, a light blue jacket and a purple shirt, a white mini skirt and pink boots to finish off the outfit. "H-Hello there…"

"Dummy…" Grace sighed, pulling Marcus up so he wouldn't just remain on the ground. "I'm horribly sorry for my friend's clumsiness…"

Standing up, the female displayed a soft smile. "Oh no, it's quite all right. I wasn't watching where I was going. My name is Rui! It's a pleasure to meet you all." Introductions were exchanged between Rui and the others. "Oh…! So you're taking part in that tournament? If you don't mind, can I come to watch you all? I don't really know anyone in this region all that well…"

"Of course! We don't mind at all." Kasumi grinned.

"We'd love for you to!" Bonnie was prepared to move in and go for the finishing blow and ask Rui to have her brother…but Clemont saw this coming and used the hand built into his bag to stop Bonnie before she could make a move. "Hey! No fair!"

Seeing this Rui giggled softly. "What an interesting bunch…"

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Fireworks shot off into the sky! The crowd gathered within the stands as the Kalos Tournament was finally starting! "Welcome everyone to the regional Kalos Tournament! Here with me is the Champion of the region, Diantha!" The announcer gestured over to the champion, who gave a smile and a wave to everyone.

"Hello everyone! I do hope you will all preform your best and showcase excellent battles." Diantha spoke out to everyone.

Elizabeth was staring; just staring at Diantha in complete and utter awe. "…."

"Uh…" Marcus poked Elizabeth to make sure she was still in reality. "Are you okay? You've been staring at her an awfully long time without blinking now…"

"An awfully long time…" Grace mumbled.

"Wouldn't you?" Elizabeth responded though she didn't turn her attention to Marcus. "I have to ask if you're okay, because you're NOT looking at her."

"I'm…gonna let this one go…" Marcus sighed.

"Here are the rules for this tournament!" The announcer began. "This is a 48-man tournament; all of the battles will be three vs three. Those who make it to top 8 are assured a spot in the roster to represent the region. The one who wins this tournament will be the leader for the team! But we will explain than when this tournament is finished! For now, it is time for the matchups!" 48 profiles appeared on a screen; these profiles shifted around before displaying the matchups that were to happen in this first round. "The first match is Grace vs. David!"

"I'm up first?" Grace stretched. "This should be fun!"

"Good luck out there!" Kasumi waved. "Not like she'll need it anyway."

"Huh…?" Rui tilted her head at the profiles, but they all faded away before she could truly see the one thing that caught her eye and bothered her.

"I can't wait to see this." Ash grinned, rubbing his hands together. "I get a really strong vibe from Grace, so this'll be good!"

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Grace stepped into the arena on the right side, giving a wave to the audience. On the opposing side was her opponent; David, a shy looking kid who had an aura of confidence around him. "Hiya! Let's make this a good match!" That said, she reached for the belt around her skirt and pulled out a Pokeball, clicking the center of the capsule to enlarge it. "Venusaur, let's go!" Throwing the capsule forward, it opened and released her partner: Venusaur.

Shuffling through his pockets, David nodded to Grace quickly. "R-Right…! Come on out, Heatmor!" David's Pokémon of choice was a Fire Type!

The referee held his hand up, looking to both Grace and David. "This is a three on three Pokémon battle. The battle ends when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle; furthermore, both of you can substitute freely! With that…the battle begins!"

"It's Venusaur vs. Heatmore! A dual of opposing types! Just how will it turn out!?" The announcer was doing his best to hype everyone up.

"Ladies first!" Grace said while pointing her hand forward. "Venusaur, use Sunny Day!" With that command, the harsh rays of the sunlight intensified, making the audience sweat a little bit.

"What's she doing…?" Elizabeth tilted her head. "That puts her at a disadvantage…"

With Grace's questionable move, David wore a grin. "You're just making this all too easy for me already! Heatmor, use Fire Blast!" Heatmor wasted not a second after the command was given; a large inhale was taken before an enormous blast of fire in the shape of the kanji symbol for fire was launched right at Venusar. "Surely you know Sunny Day increases fire type moves! A grass type doesn't stand a chance against a fire type in these conditions!"

"I wonder…" Grace tapped her chin with her index finger and grinned. "Venusaur. Solar Beam." The bulb on Venusaur's back began to gather light from the sun. Thanks to Sunny Day, the process was instantaneous and a beam of light energy shot forward to clash with the Fire Blast. That's what everyone was expecting anyway, but the Solar Beam blasted right through the Fire Blast and was on a direct course for Heatmor. The fire pokemon's eyes widened and a large explosion occurred…when it faded, Heatmor was defeated.

"Heatmor is unable to battle! Venusaur is the winner!" The referee pointed his arm at Grace. The crowd immediately went wild and Heatmor's slot on the screen faded to gray.

"O-One hit…!?" Ash's eyes widened. "Against a type disadvantage at that…"

"She's strong…" Serena gasped.

"Heatmor, return!" Anyone in their right mind would be shaken after their fire type lost to a grass type so easily. David was no exception so he pulled out yet another Pokémon; "O-Okay…! Muk, let's go!" His next Pokémon was Muk! Poison vs. Poison, he was sure to gain the advantage this time! "Muk, use Sludge Wave!" Muk slammed its gooey hand on the ground and opened its mouth, releasing a wave of toxic sludge in Venusar's direction.

"She's so calm and composed…" Bonnie admired Grace's stance. It was clear that Grace was a very composed person. It was then Grace commanded Venusaur to use Razor Leaf, which cut through the Sludge Bomb and struck Muk, also leaving that in a KO'ed state after one hit.

"She's very strong…" Rui gave a slow nod while eying Venusaur somewhat intently. "That Venusaur is incredibly powerful as well…"

"It's been her partner since the beginning…" Kasumi shook her head. "It's way too powerful…" By this point, David was on his last Pokémon: Crobat. …And it met as fast a fate as all the other Pokémon by David. One shot KO from Solar Beam.

"Unbelievable…!" The announcer was in shock with the rest of the arena. "With such a sweep, Grace is our first victor!" And the crowd went wild.

"Impressive…" Clemont adjusted his glasses. "She didn't even have to move Venusaur…"

"That was hardly a warm up." Marcus shrugged. "But if we cross paths, companions or not, I'm definitely taking her down."

"I'd take her down." Elizabeth's stated. Grace's result only made everyone that much more eager to start fighting in this tournament. The climb to top 8 was going to be intense, but everyone also really wanted to see who would come out on top. Grace was looking like the top contender from this first battle alone, but it was far too early to say!

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Next Time: The Climb to Top 8.


	6. Chapter 6: Road to Top 8

The announcer cleared his throat, glad to be able to witness the intense battles that were displayed. "Everyone! It is time for the top 16! The event you've all been waiting for! This will determine the top 8 who will represent the region in battle against the others! Can I hear your excitement!?" Right on that cue the crowd roared with intense excitement. With only 16 competitors remaining, this tournament was going to get much fiercer; just what the people wanted to see. "And now it's time for the beginning of the top 16! For the first match we have Ash vs. Manfred!"

Ash was already standing at his position of the field, standing across from his opponent, Manfred. Manfred was your stereotypical Gentleman class. Taking his hat off, he gave a slight bow to Ash. "You've done well to make it this far, young man. However this region should be represented by the best of the best. So enough games. Arcanine, let us show these children what we are capable of!"

"I'm not exactly sure what you're going on about…but let's go, Pikachu!" Ash nodded to the electric mouse on his shoulder. With a nod of his own, Pikachu leapt forward, electricity sparking from his red cheeks.

The referee held his arm up. "Are both trainers? Begin!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash went for the initiative. Leaping forward, Pikachu released a powerful bolt of lightning towards Arcanine that would inflict major damage if it was a direct hit.

"Arcanine, use Dig!" Manfred commanded. Just before Thunderbolt could strike, Arcaninie quickly burrowed its way into the ground, leaving a hole in its wake. Thunderbolt hit nothing and the electricity harmlessly dispersed.

"Iron Tail!" Ash knew exactly how to act in these situations. Pikachu jumped into the air with his tail glowing a bright white light. In one swift movement Pikachu slammed its tail on the ground with such force it broke apart, dragging Arcanine out of the ground. "Now, Electro Ball!"

Pikachu formed a moderately sized sphere of electricity on its tail. "Pika…!" Swinging its tail down violently, the sphere of electricity flew towards the unprepared Arcanine. It was a direct hit; an explosion occurred on contact and a cloud of smoke formed. When the cloud faded, Arcanine was lying on its side in KO.

"Arcanine is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" The referee exclaimed. Arcanine's image on the screen faded to gray.

"Ash has been on fire!" Serena grinned. "He must really want that spot and I know he can do it!"

"It doesn't look like this match will be lasting much longer either…" Kasumi stood up while stretching. "I think I should get ready for mine…I'm next I think." She started to walk off, but Grace grabbed her wrist to halt her. "Eh…?"

"…Don't use Dragonite." Grace's request sounded more like a demand than anything else.

Kasumi's green eyes widened before she let out a heavy, defeated sigh. She was on strict lockdown of her own Pokémon but supposedly for good reason. "I haven't so far just like you asked…" Grace nodded and released Kasumi.

"Is there something wrong with her Dragonite…?" Rui asked Grace while Kasumi walked off.

"Nothing…wrong…." Grace crossed her arms. "It's very complicated and I don't think I can explain it very well…"

"We've had our fair share of strange…" Clemont said while adjusting his glasses. "I don't think it can be that bad." During their conversation, Ash totally managed to wipe the floor with Manfred with only some difficultly. Along with Pikachu, the combined efforts of Talonflame and Goodra enabled him to snag victory.

"And we have our first competitor into the Top 8! Ash!" The announcer bellowed.

"I expected nothing less." Diantha gave a small nod, smiling at Ash's entry into the Quarter finals. She knew all about the potential he had within him after their one on one some time ago.

.

Next up was Kasumi vs. Cason. Both sides were down one pokemon already and the current battle between Kasumi's Chansey and Cason's Onix was reaching its climax. "Chansey! Use Egg Bomb!" Chansey quickly acted, pulling out the egg from its pouch, hurling it towards the giant rock serpent.

"That won't work! Tank it, Onix!" Cason commanded. Onix was prepared to eat the Egg Bomb for breakfast but it wasn't aimed at it! Instead, the Egg Bomb exploded against the ground creating a large cloud of smoke that obscured sight. "Huh?!"

"Now! Ice Beam!" Kasumi was relentless in her assault now. Chansey exhaled an electric-like beam of ice that cut through the smoke and struck Onix directly for a super effective hit.

Onix slid back while roaring in pain before coming to a halt. "Gah…" Cason was panicking now, but he wasn't going to let Kasumi get the edge on him so easily. "Onix! Use Slam repeatedly!" Onix nodded, inching forward while raising its tail before…whipping its tail rapidly at Chansey. It was such a fast paced assault that Kasumi didn't see it coming and Chansey took blow after blow.

"It looks like Onix has Chansey on the ropes!" The announcer shouted.

Kasumi's initial shock faded and she immediately sprung back with a counter. "Seismic Toss!" Right as Onix swung its tail at Chansey, the pink pokemon caught it within its stubby arms and halted all movement, leaving the crowd in shock! In the next instant, Chansey spun and hurled Onix high into the air only for it to come back down violently on the ground in KO. Chansey then flexed her little arms as the crowd was in shock.

"Onix is unable to battle! Chansey wins!" The referee shouted and Onix's image grayed out.

"That is one strong Chansey…" Rui chuckled but she was just as surprised as the audience. "I didn't expect it to throw an entire Onix…"

"Seismic Toss is a move that works depending on how strong the user itself is…" Clemont clarified. "It effectively works on everything but Ghost types barring some instances."

"Hitmonchan, let's go!" Cason was going for the advantage right off the bat.

"It's Chansey vs. Hitmonchan, two opposing types! Who will win!?" The announcer exclaimed.

"We'll end it here! Chansey, Thunder Wave!" Kasumi was prepared to bring a swift end to the battle. Chansey extended her arms forward to release several weak waves of electricity towards Hitmonchan.

"Dodge and use Mach Punch!" Cason quickly commanded. HItmonchan strafed the incoming Thunder Wave, and in the next instant the pokemon's fist lit up and it rushed forward. Before Kasumi or Chansey could see it coming Hitmonchan slammed its fist into Chansey's face with such force poor Chansey was thrown back into the wall with swirls in her eyes.

"Chansey is unable to battle! Hitmonchan is the victor!"

"Yikes…" Kasumi cringed slightly before returning Chansey. "Good work, Chansey. Take a good rest. Now…Magmortar, take the stage!" The next capsule the blond threw released a Magmortar, who pointed its arm forward with a wide grin. "This is the last round. Sorry to say, but I'm making it to top 8, kid."

"I'd like to see you try! Hitmonchan, Thunder Punch!" Cason wasn't going to fall here. Hitmonchan rushed forward with lightning dancing around its fist. It wanted to slug Magmortar in the face, but Kasumi had other plans.

"Magmortar, use Fire Blast on the ground!" Kasumi's commanded while pointing at the ground. Magmortar then stuck its arm cannon in the ground. The ground quickly started heating up before five pillars of flame appeared around Hitmonchan and stopped its approach immediately. The pillars of flame then exploded spectacularly, glimmers of orange sparkles gently cascading down the arena. The audience was so enthralled by the beauty of it they nearly forgot about the match…lo and behold; Hitmonchan was defeated without so much as a struggle.

"Hitmonchan is unable to battle! That means the winner of this battle is Kasumi!"

"What a beautiful sequence…" Diantha found herself wrapped into that brief show before displaying a soft smile. "I think we're going to have quite the crop of trainers for this…I can't wait to see how the others will perform."

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Elizabeth's battle into the top 8 was going as most people expected. It was known that she was undefeated in Sinnoh's tournament so nobody believed that she would have a hard time; in fact she was silently voted by the audience to take the Kalos tournament as well. It was Elizabeth's Luxray, her first Pokémon and the only one used in the battle thus far against her opponent: Liza, who was on her last. "Luxray, Thunder Fang!" Electricity formed on Luxray's maw in the shape of vicious fangs. Lunging forward, Luxray aimed to take a giant bite out of the opposing Pangoro. It was a direct hit and Pangoro slid backwards from the power.

"Pangoro! Stone Edge!" Liza's voice was obviously panicked; she didn't think being swept like this was coming her way. Pangoro roared before punching the ground, sending sharp azure stones towards Luxray.

"Iron Tail!" Elizabeth did not miss a bit. Luxray's tail shone brightly and in one motion the Stone Edge was completely negated by Iron Tail. "Now, Charge Beam!" Once landing, the hairs on Luxray's body stood up on end and a thin, but powerful beam of electricity was soaring towards the opposing fighting type.

"Hyper Beam!" Liza shouted. Pangoro released an enormous beam to clash with the incoming Charge Beam, but that was not even close to what happened. Charge Beam cut right through Hyper Beam and stuck Pangoro for a direct hit! The result was clear from the beginning.

"Pangoro is unable to battle! Elizabeth is the victor!" The referee pointed his arm towards Elizabeth, who wore a pleased smile on her lips.

"I didn't expect anything less. Don't disappoint me now, Kalos." Elizabeth said while petting Luxray on the head. "I've only had to use one to two pokemon per round. Let's not make this easy, shall we? I'm here to win, but not so easily. Can we at least make it interesting until I win?"

"She certainly knows how to thrown down the gauntlet…" Rui chuckled nervously at the somewhat tense air in the arena. "Oooh boy…"

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Marcus was on a victorious stride along with the others. Holding a massive lead compared to his opponent, it was pretty much certain that the battle had been decided. "Rhyperior, Flamethrower!" Rhyperior opened its mouth, releasing a gigantic wave of flame towards the opposing Tangrowth that belonged to hit opponent: Zach. There was absolutely no way Tangrowth could have evaded in time and was consumed by the searing flames. As one would expect from a super effective hit, Tangrowth was down.

"Tangrowth in unable to battle! Which means that Marcus is the winner of this battle!" The referee pointed at Marcus. "Another advancement into the top 8!"

"No contest." Marcus kept his victory quite simple and sweet. Returning Rhyperior, only a small smile was presented by the trainer.

"Hm…" Elizabeth was eying the remaining competition, wondering who would give her the greatest challenge yet. Actually, she did find someone, but she avoided eye contact for the time being. "I think I'm starting to see how this competition will play out…though that one…" She pointed to the man in the trench coat who was up to battle next. "His name is Wes…right?"

"Yes…" Rui gave a nod of confirmation. "I know him well! He's my…er…we were partners some time ago. It's very strange to see him in Kalos of all places…but maybe not now that I think about it…?" Her voice dropped to a mumble. Whatever it was she was talking about now was lost on the others. But that wasn't the important part here; what was truly important was that it was time for the Top 8 soon.

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Next Time: The Top 8 Begins!


	7. Chapter 7: The Top 8

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT'S TIME FOR THE TOP 8 OF THE KALOS TOURNAMENT!" The announcer's voice was more than enough to hype up the crowd. A thunderous roar erupted from the audience as the profiles were shuffled about. "Our first match of this top 8 is…" The profiles stopped at Grace and Kayla, a female with long blonde hair topped with a pink hat, and a pair of green eyes. "Grace vs. Kayla! Now, Grace has been a crowd favorite, but the upset could happen at any given moment!"

"Grace has been using nothing but Venusaur this entire tournament and it's been quite a show in itself…" Diantha remarked. "I myself would not be too terribly surprised if she remained undefeated. But I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?"

The two combatants stepped into the arena; Grace on one side, Kayla on the other. Grace flashed her opponent a smile before asking what many thought a strange question: "…Are you worried? You've made it this far, and I'm certain you want to win. But you're facing an opponent like me…my Venusaur is my trusted and very important partner. Does fighting something that powerful worry you?"

"Uh…" Kayla blinked slowly before shaking her head. "No! I'm not afraid! I did come here to win and I'm going to give it my all. So your Venusaur can fall like the rest." After saying those words, Kayla threw a pokeball into the air, releasing a Togekiss. "Togekiss, I choose you!"

"And Kayla's first Pokémon is a Togekiss!" The announcer said. "Will we be seeing Venusaur once again!?"

"Hmmm…" Grace tapped her chin before shrugging and pulling out a pokeball of her own, hurling it into the air. "Good answer. Electivire, shall we dance?" From the opening capsule, an Electivire appeared with a wide grin.

"She's actually using another Pokémon…?" Rui blinked.

"Ah…she's trying to spice things up a bit." Marcus nodded. "It is the top 8 after all…and her confidence levels are extremely high"

"This will be a three on three battle!" The referee began. "The battle is over when one side's Pokémon are all unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed at any time. Begin!"

Kayla was fired up and prepared to make the first move. "Togekiss, Air Slash!" On that cue, Togekiss flew into the air and spun around, releasing saw-blades composed of air towards Electivire.

"Electivire, use Thunder!" Grace commanded. Electivire's body enveloped in strong lightning; thrusting its arms forward, the electric pokemon released a strong discharge of lightning that clashed with the Air Slash, creating a smoke cloud in the air. "Now, Wild Charge!" Immediately after the long range clash Electivire lunged forward through the smoke and appeared in front of Togekiss.

"W-Wha…!? So quickly?! Dodge it!" Kayla commanded. It was too late and Electivire slammed into Togekiss, hurling it back towards the ground violently. Electivire landed and did take some recoil as a result. "Are you okay!? Use Aura Sphere…!" Togekiss quickly got itself up and opened its mouth, releasing a homing sphere composed of aura directly at Electivire.

"Watch out!" Grace shouted. Electivire crossed its arms, taking the brunt of the attack while sliding back.

"Once again!" Kayla was feeling the offensive stride now. Togekiss wasted no time and unleashed yet another Aura Sphere in Electivire's direction.

"Ice Punch!" Grace wasn't having any of it. Ice coated Electivire's fist and it was swung towards the incoming Aura Sphere. The Aura Sphere was frozen and shattered, leaving Kayla and the rest of the crowd shocked. "Again!" Bolting forward, Electivire raised its fist and brought it down on Togekiss for another super effective hit, driving it into the ground for a guaranteed KO.

"Togekiss is unable to battle! Electivire is the winner!" The referee pointed to Grace.

"Looks like Vensaur isn't the only monster she has on that time of hers…" Elizabeth was taking note of this.

"You did great, Togekiss. Return." Returning Togekiss, the next Pokémon Kayla sent out was a Lopunny, one that had a belt around its waist attached with a Mega Stone. However it was clear that Kayla herself was currently lacking a Keystone to utilize this.

"Hm…" Grace examined Lopunny before giving a slight nod.

"Lopunny, Jump Kick!" With Kayla's command Lopunny proceeded to flip forward. Springing off its ears, Lopunny proceeded to slam its foot into Electivire's chest, causing it to stagger back from the powerful blow.

"Ah…" Grace cringed just slightly from Electivire's damage; however she was not one to allow the opponent even the slightest bit of offensive momentum. "Grab it with your tails!" Electivire bounced back from the Jump Kick quickly, both tails wrapping around Lopunny before too much distance could be gained. "Thunder!" A close range thunder with Lopunny in captivity was going to hurt, and it did. Lopunny let out a cry of pain as it was currently trapped within Electivire's hold.

"That's gotta hurt…!" The announcer could feel himself cringe at the pain Lopunny was receiving.

Grace grinned before flicking her wrist upwards. "Now, throw it up!" After giving Lopunny the shock of its life, Electivire then hurled Lopunny high into the air.

"Not so fast! Twirl and use Blizzard!" Kayla's command was supposed to occur faster than it was actually carried out; that Thunder did paralyze Lopunny so it took a second for it to grain its composure before twirling in the air, releasing a Blizzard down towards Electivire and the arena, completely freeze it over. "Now, Giga Impact!" With a powerful aura surroding its body, Lopunny dropped down from above and aimed to land directly on Electivire.

"Look out!" Grace ordered for a dodge…but Electivire's feet were frozen to the ground. In the time it took for her to notice the root of the problem, Lopunny already landed on Electivire and a massive explosion occurred; Lopunny leapt away, landing on a knee and panting heavily with small sparks dancing around its body.

"Is that is for Electivire!?" Serena gasped.

'Vire…' Electivire's piercing red eyes were visible from the smoke. It was heavily damaged, but it was still standing.

"Ah…" Kayla's eyes widened. "No way…!"

"Cross Chop!" Grace found herself mimicking the incoming actions. Electivire rushed forward with its arms crossed over its chest. It closed the distance and in one swift motion uncrossed its arms while sliding past Lopunny. Lopunny just collapsed on its side, swirly eyes signifying KO.

"Lopunny is unable to battle!" The referee once again pointed to Grace. "Electivire is the winner!"

"As always, she's on fire…" Kasumi shook her head.

After returning and praising Lopunny for a job well done, Kayla sent out her last Pokémon: Swampert. "Okay Swampert, it's all you now!"

"I'd be a fool to continue this…Electivire, return." Grace returned Electivire only to return to her staple pokemon. "Venusaur, come out." Venusaur was back for action, letting out mighty roar while standing across from Swampert. A very bad match up for the Hoenn starter.

"Tch…" Kayla sucked her teeth in annoyance.

"Don't fret too badly about it." Grace said while brushing her hair behind her ear. "You're in the top 8! That's nothing to sneeze at. You're gonna be with the rest of us in the main tournament. So you're a threat in your own right."

"…Your attitude is extremely annoying. I hope you know that." Kayla spat. "HYDRO CANNON!" If she was going to go down, she was definitely going to go down fighting. Swampert opened its mouth, unleashing a gigantic torrent of water towards Venusaur.

"It's not the first time I've heard that." With a near meaningless shrug, Grace pointed her hand forward. "Solar Beam." It was time to wrap up this battle. Venusaur gathered sunlight before releasing the energy it gathered into a large beam that cut through Hydro Cannon and struck Swampert directly. When the smoke cleared, Swampert was lying on its side in KO.

"Swampert is unable to battle! That means Grace is the winner!" The referee shouted.

"Another 3-0 victory in Grace's favor! Can anyone stop this fighting machine!?" The announcer definitely made a favorite out of Grace.

"Her skills are definitely winning the crowd over…if this were a contest she'd no doubt win the appeal round instantly." Kasumi nodded slowly.

"She's super-duper strong!" Bonnie threw her arms out excitedly. Dedende mimicked her actions while Squishy just stared at both of them before nestling itself back into the large pouch.

"At this point it would be a miracle to see at least one of her Pokémon go down…" Elizabeth toyed with her hair slightly.

.

The next round was Marcus vs. Lore. Both were down two pokemon and were onto their last: Gallade vs. Sceptile respectively. "Gallade, use X-Scissor!" Gallade quickly crossed its bladed arms, a large X forming as it jumped forward, uncrossing its arms for a direct hit! Sceptile was thrown backwards before landing on its feet, falling to a knee shortly after.

"Sceptile, Energy Ball!" Lore commanded. Sceptile gathered energy within its hands, creating a bright green sphere within its palms before unleashing it towards Gallade in the form of a sphere.

"Psycho Cut!" Marcus commanded. Gallade's bladed arms shone a bright rainbow hue; in the next second it slashed forward, releasing several crescent blades composed of kinetic energy. Two blades cut right through the Energy Ball and struck Sceptile in the chest, forcing it to slide back once again before collapsing onto its stomach in KO. A close shave, that one was.

With the results of the battle clear, the referee pointed towards Marcus. "Sceptile is unable to battle! Marcus is the winner!"

"Whew…" Marcus wiped the sweat off his brow and grinned towards Lore. "That was a tough one…you'll make a threat on this top 8 team for sure!"

"Hah…" Lore nodded to Marcus, giving a friendly grin of his own. "Not bad at all. Though I request a rematch in the future. "

"So Marcus makes it to the quarter finals…" Kasumi nodded. "As expected. I would've yelled at him otherwise."

"Next we have…" The announcer's voice lingered before two more profiles appeared. "Kasumi vs. Elizabeth!"

Immediately, the two girls looked at each other with surprise at first before it turned into competitive grins. "Well…let's not keep the audience waiting, non?" Kasumi stood up along with Elizabeth. The aura between the two made the boys shudder and the girls sweat.

"Y-Yikes…this one is gonna be fierce…" Serena laughed nervously.

"I'm glad I'm not in the middle of this one…" Clemont stammered.

.

Both females stood at opposite ends of the field. Elizabeth and Kasumi both wearing confident smirks; this was going to be an intense catfight between new friends and it was already dragging the audience into it all. She was prepared to bring out Dragonite, but for some reason Grace's glare from the stands was exceptionally strong; a shiver crawled up the blonde's spine and she elected to go with something else first. "All right…Lucario, on stage!" The capsule thrown released Lucario, who stood ready for battle.

"Hm…" Elizabeth tapped her chin for a moment before throwing out a pokeball, this one releasing a Vaporeon.

"It's Lucario vs. Vaporeon to start off this clash between females! Just who will win?!"

"May the best female win." Kasumi then pointed her hand forward to make the first move. "Lucario, Bone Rush!" Lucario formed a long bone within its grip, now sprinting towards Vaporeon with incredible speed.

"I intend to. Vaporeon, Acid Armor!" Elizabeth was going to enjoy this, she just knew it. Lucario swung its bone down on Vaporeon's skull just as a bright blue light wrapped around the eeveelution. Despite the direct hit, Vaporeon didn't budge due to its increased defenses.

Kasumi released this immediately, however it was far too late to pull back. "Ah…!"

With this slight advantageous lead, Elizabeth grinned. "Water Pulse!" Vaporeon's mouth opened, unleashing a sphere of water point blank towards Lucario who was unable to dodge. Thrown back, the aura pokemon flipped before regaining composure, still keeping its bone in hand.

"You good? Of course you are. They won't get the drop on us again, dash forward!" Kasumi had a plan in mind and Lucario was following it, dashing towards Vaporeon once again.

Elizabeth, however, had no plans of allowing Lucario to close in on them once again. "Aurora Beam!" Vaporeon's mouth opened and a bright, cold rainbow beam shot forth from its mouth.

There it was: the moment Kasumi was looking for. "Vault!" Lucario slammed its bone into the ground, using this to push itself high into the air while avoiding the Aurora Beam completely. "Now, fall with Extreme Speed, and finish it with Metal Claw!"

"What the…!?" Elizabeth stared up at the airborne Lucario. Before she could react with a command, Lucario fell back towards the ground while drawing its arm back, a metallic claw forming along its arm. With its superior momentum the ensuing swing was quite effective despite type advantage. The Metal Claw was a direct hit, strong enough to crater the ground under Vaporeon while throwing it back violently. "Vaporeon…!"

Oh yeah. Now Kasumi was feeling it. "Aura Sphere!" Lucario wasted no time in gathering energy between its palms and hurling it forward in the form of a powerful sphere en route to Vaporeon.

"Quick Attack!" Vaporeon slowly recovered from the Metal Claw, only to see that an Aura Sphere was heading its way. Vaporeon then darted off quickly with enhanced speed, swiftly evading the incoming Aura Sphere…or so it thought, as the Aura Sphere started to chase it! "Tch…!"

"Don't think we're giving you the luxury of running forever…intercept with Bone Rush!" Lucario followed commands, conjuring yet another bone and began rushing toward Vaporeon.

"Haze!" It was the only way out of this situation. Vaporeon emitted a black haze that filled the arena, covering everything from sight. "Now keep moving!"

"Annoying…" Kasumi admitted before shouting to Lucario. "Track it down with your aura abilities. Don't let it get away." Lucario nodded before shutting its eyes. How strange…Vaporeon wasn't on or beneath the ground. Wait…so that could only mean…!

"Water Pulse!" Taking a page out of Kasumi's book, Vaporeon was already sky high with a sphere of water readied within its mouth. Aiming downward, the water type unleashed the Water Pulse towards Lucario, which was a direct hit. This didn't come without punishment, for the Aura Sphere from before was very persistent and struck Vaporeon at last, causing it to drop from the sky. The water caused the Haze to disperse and the battle was essentially reset. "Quick Attack!" Vaporeon was off once again, this time preparing a Water Pulse in advanced.

"Aura Sphere!" Lucario held its ground while charging up an Aura Sphere within both hands. Vaporeon jumped forward just as Lucario did, the two pushing their attacks right into each other at close range. A massive explosion occurred and both Pokémon were thrown back, lying on the ground in KO.

"Both Lucario and Vaporeon are unable to battle!" The referee said while raising his hands.

"Hah…" Both Kasumi and Elizabeth gave a small chuckle before returning their pokemon. This battle was only just beginning…! The competition in the top 8 was bound to become fiercer no matter which one of these two made it…!

.

.

Next Time: To The Top 4!


	8. Chapter 8: The Top 4

"Luxray, I choose you!" Elizabeth threw out a capsule that released her Luxray; the mane of the pokemon was charged with lightning that danced around its body briefly.

"Machamp, I choose you!" Kasumi's pokemon of choice was Machamp. The four armed fighting type flexed several times before staring at its opponent. "Now, use Stone Edge!" On that command, Machamp punched the ground, releasing several sharp stones towards Luxray that appeared sporadically around the field instead of linearly.

"Dodge it!" Elizabeth ordered. Luxray started to leap around to avoid the incoming stones, but one rose from the ground and struck it directly in the abdomen, causing it to fly into the air. "Huh…!?"

"Bullet Punch!" Kasumi brought a hand up. With blinding speed, Machamp leapt into the air and punched Luxray back down to the ground before Elizabeth could even issue an order. "Haha! That's more like it!"

A worried Elizabeth's eyes widened at Kasumi's rapid assault. "Luxray, are you okay!?" Luxray slowly brought itself up and shook off the damage. "All right. Use Thunder Fang!" Luxray's maw was coated in 'fangs' of lightning. Lunging forward, the electric type quickly sank these fangs into Machamp, a small explosion occurring that sent Machamp skidding backwards. "Huh…? You didn't even try to evade it."

To that, Kasumi shrugged. "There's no point. I'm sure you've figured it out by now."

"What are they talking about?" Bonnie looked at Clemont, expecting another explanation.

"Machamp's ability must be No Guard." Clemont explained. "This means that no matter what…any move unleashed by either party will always hit. It's a doubled edged sword in most cases."

"Iron Tail!" Luxray took to the air, bringing its tail down towards Machamp's skull.

Kasumi waited until the very last second before shouting; "Catch it!" Machamp clapped to hands on Luxray's tail, stopping the assault cold. "Having four arms is really useful, lemme tell ya. Cross Chop!"

"Discharge!" Even at close range, neither side was willing to give it! Luxray's body discharged high voltage electricity as Machamp swung its two free arms in an X motion for a high damaging Cross Chop. The two attacks on both sides resulted in an inevitable shockwave that separated them. Luxray and Machamp both fell on their sides, swirls in their eyes to signify defeat.

"Both Luxray and Machamp are unable to battle! This is a draw!" The referee exclaimed as both Luxray and Machamp's profiles grayed out.

"Wow!" The announcer's voice boomed. "This battle is getting heated! Just when we thought Kasumi had the upper hand, Elizabeth did not grant that for more than a second! Now it can go either way as we enter this final round!"

Holding up a pokeball, Elizabeth held a hint of a grin before tossing it forward. "Charizard, I choose you." Charizard appeared from the pokeball, letting out a roar.

"Medicham, on stage!" Kasumi called forth her Medicham.

"This is it, the final round! Which female will win!?" The announcer was on the edge of his seat.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Charizard opened its mouth, releasing a stream of orange flames towards Medicham.

"Psycho Cut!" Medicham raised its hand before releasing a singular crescent blade of kinetic energy towards the incoming Flamethower. The blade cut through the flames and an explosion occurred on contact…when the smoke cleared, Charizard was unharmed from the Psycho Cut. "W-What the…?"

Elizabeth smirked at Kasumi's reaction; it was all going according to plan. "Shadow Claw!" Charizard sped forward by use of its wings, appearing beside Medicham in an instant; much faster than any normal Charizard. Before Kasumi could react with a command, Medicham took a Shadow Claw directly and flew back from the hit.

"Agh…!" Medicham slid back, grimacing in pain before standing right up once again. "Okay, close the distance and use Ice Punch!" Frost covered Medicham's fist and it sped forward, swinging its arms forward to freeze Charizard over.

"Aerial Ace!" Charizard's hands and feet shone a bright white and it met Medicham halfway; the two pokemon were now exchanging blows left and right. Aerial Ace collided with Ice Punch. Medicham swung, but Charizard ducked quickly and landed a firm slash across Medicham's chest for super effective damage. The opposing fighting type immediately retaliated with an icy fist to Charizard's stomach, sending it skidding backwards. "Ah…" Charizard's body fizzled out to reveal…that it was a Zoroark. The jig is up."

"Wha!?" Ash's eyes widened. "That's so cool!"

"Charizard was actually a Zoroark!? No wonder Psycho Cut didn't have any effect." Rui nodded slowly. "Psychic type moves have no effect on dark types after. I wonder if she had that in mind…"

"Drain Punch!" Medicham's fist was coated in a green aura. Lunging forward, the fighting/psychic type aimed a strong punch to Zoroark's face.

"Not so fast! Night Daze!" Zoroark gathered darkness within its palms before spreading its arms out to the sides. Several waves of darkness spread from Zoroark, consuming Medicham in an instant. Medicham was unable to bear the darkness and collapsed onto its front before it could strike Zoroark, KO'ed.

"Medicham is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Elizabeth!" The referee shouted.

"Astounding! What a fantastic battle on both ends! Elizabeth advances to the semifinals!" The announcer was enjoying himself that much was clear.

"So that only leaves Ash and that Wes guy…" Kayla's comment was surprisingly close as she was sitting near the others. "Interesting…"

"Very…" Lore nodded.

Not questioning when they got there, Rui just smiled and nodded. "I know Wes very well…he single handedly destroyed the organization known as Chiper back in the Orre region. Though he went missing after that…so I'm surprised to see him here. I wonder why…"

"Heh…" Ash grinned before standing up, pumping a fist into the air. "So he's strong, huh? This'll be fun, then!"

.

.

Ash and Wes stood on opposite ends of the arena. Wes had a look of disinterest while standing across from Ash, but so far Wes' performance up until this point was nothing short of incredible. "Don't bore me, now." Wes stated plainly while throwing a pokeball into the air, calling forth his Flygon.

"I don't plan on it!" Ash nodded. "Noivern, I choose you!" Noviern was called out, flapping its wings to stay airborne along with Flygon.

"A battle between dragons! This could go either way!"

"Begin!"

With the battle beginning, Wes decided to take the initiative. "Flygon, Dragon Claw!" Flygon's claws were covered in green scales. With incredible speed, Flygon closed the distance between itself and Noivern.

"Noivern, Dragon Claw!" Noivern's claws rivaled Flygon's. The two dragons clashed before they took some space away from each other. "Supersonic!" From its large, stero-like ears, Noivern released a large soundwave towards the retreating Flygon.

"Dragonbreath!" Flygon opened its mouth, releasing an emerald beam of energy that clashed with the Supersonic, resulting in an explosion and cloud of smoke to linger in the air.

"Perfect…" Ash grinned, knowing Noivern could use its echo location abilities to track Flygon even from within the smoke. "Boomburst!" With a loud cry, Noivern unleashed a powerful sound wave that tore through the smoke. Flygon could only see it at the last second and was sent directly into the ground after the sound wave struck.

"I see…" Wes nodded slowly. "So you used Noivern's echo location abilities to track Flygon within the smoke. Well…let's see how well this works out for you. Flygon, Sandstorm!" Flygon stood back up, flapping its wings with a battle cry to whip up a vicious sandstorm that covered the arena. "Now, Dragon Tail." Flygon flew into the air, quickly making its way towards Noviern.

This was not a good situation for Ash. Noivern's echo location was disrupted by the Sandstorm. "Keep an eye out and use Supersonic!" Noivern did as told, using Supersonic when it sensed Flygon nearby. However, the sandstorm was on Flygon's side; whenever Noivern unleashed a Supersonic at Flygon's location, the opposing dragon easily managed to avoid it. "Huh…!?" And then Flygon slammed its Dragon Tail into Noivern, sending it hurtling back towards the ground with a loud thud.

"I can't even see Flygon…!" Serena's eyes tried to follow the sand dragon, but to no avail.

"That must be Sand Veil in action…" Marcus confirmed. "It makes pokemon like Flygon incredibly evasive when a Sandstorm is brewing. In other words, that's a problem."

"Just like Wes." Rui was practically swooning and made no attempts to hide it. One could almost see the hearts flowing from her being. "Always making use of his pokemon's strong points."

"You're gushing a little too close to me…" Elizabeth said while comically nudging Rui away.

"Dragon Claw!" Wes was going to keep his offensive momentum. Flygon sped past Noivern while slashing it with its claw, sending the dragon type tumbling away. At this rate, Noviern was not going to be able to take another hit.

"Use Boomburst on the ground!" Ash had an idea. Noivern pointed its gaze down, releasing a high powered sound wave that ground. The Boomburst rebounding off the ground caused the sandstorm to disperse. "Now, Acrobatics!" With free mobility, Noivern began to nimbly move about in the air before slamming into Flygon, sending it rocketing back down to the ground in KO.

"Flygon is unable to battle! Noivern is the winner!" The referee pointed at Ash.

"Wha…" Even Wes wasn't prepared the events that occurred. But he was impressed nonetheless. "Not bad…" Returning Flygon, Wes gave Ash a nod of acknowledgement.

"T-That was impressively lucky…!" Rui flailed her arms about. Those around her could obviously tell who she was rooting for.

"Espeon, come out." Wes' next pokemon of choice was Espeon! The psychic eeveelution mewled before glaring up at Noivern.

"Noivern, Boomburst!" Ash wasn't wasting any time! Noivern took aim at Espeon and unleashed yet another powerful sound wave!

"Light Screen!" Wes threw his arm to the side while issuing his command; Espeon's body was coated in a bright yellow light. When Boomburst hit, the damage dealt was drastically decreased! "Now, Swift!" In one smooth motion, Espeon swung its tail horizontally, releasing countless golden stars towards Noivern.

"Dodge it!" Noivern began to ultilize its high aerial mobility to begin evading the Swift. It could only keep this up for so long before the countless stars began to bombard it, causing it to fall from the sky. "Noivern…!"

"Now, Shadow Ball!" Espeon formed a sphere of darkness within its mouth, and with pinpoint accuracy it fired off the Shadow Ball at the falling Noivern. It was a direct hit; an explosion occurring on contact and Noivern hit the ground in KO.

"Noivern is unable to battle! Espeon is the winner!" The referee pointed to Wes as Noviern's profile grayed out.

"THAT'S MY WES!" Rui exclaimed loudly, standing up while waving her fist around.

"Your…Wes?" Serena blinked slowly before turning her attention at Wes, who didn't even glance in Rui's direction. _"Does he even know she's here…? She's been screaming his name for a while now…"_

Returning Noivern, Ash merely wore a grin on his lips. "You're not bad. Talonflame, I choose you!" From the next pokeball Ash threw, Talonflame was released into the air.

"…" Wes didn't even respond to Ash's compliment. Instead, he just focused on the battle. "Espeon, Psybeam." The red jewel adorning Espeon's forehead shone brightly before a rainbow colored beam of kinetic energy was released, shooting directly for Talonflame.

"Flame Charge!" Talonflame swiftly evaded the incoming Psybeam, flames flickering around its body before it was coated in orange. With the increase in speed Flame Charge granted Talonflame quickly closed the gap between them and slammed into Espeon, throwing it off its feet before flying back into the air.

"Swift!" Sticking the landing, Espeon once again swung its tail forward to unleash another plethora of stars at Talonflame.

"Steel Wing!" Talonflame preformed a loop in the air with its wings shining a bright white before soaring back down, nimbly evading the incoming Swift stars with ease. The stars that struck its wings bounced off; using its momentum to its advantage, Talonflame began to spin around, taking the shape of a piercing drill that slammed right into Espeon, knocking it into the air.

"How the…" Wes hadn't seen such a style of battling before, but he wasn't going to let it get the best of him. "Land on Talonflame, then use Shadow Ball repeatedly!" Flipping in the air, Espeon quickly positioned itself to fall on the back of the speeding Talonflame, to which it tried to remove the unwelcome passenger. Espeon then began immediately unleashing rapidly fire Shadow Balls on Talonflames back, dealing a heavy amount of damage each time it hit and drug the bird pokemon closer to the ground with each hit.

This was no good for Ash and Talonflame. If this kept up, Talonflame was a goner for sure. "Quick, get it off you with Flame Charge!" Talonflame's body was alit with flames once again; one rough barrel roll was enough to get Espeon off it. "Now, Brave Bird!" The orange replaced with a vibrant, fiery blue that coated Talonflame's body. Falling after the descending Espeon, Talonflame intended to bring it back to the ground with force.

"Psybeam!" As Talonflame descended towards it, Espeon unleashed a full powered Psybeam. The two actually met and a large explosion occurred in the sky. Both pokemon fell with their eyes containing swirls to signify KO. Espeon groaned softly while Talonflame let out a defeated squawk.

"Both Talonflame and Espeon are unable to battle! This is a draw!" The referee shouted.

"It's coming down to the wire now…but I'm not worried!" Rui nodded firmly.

"You're being very talkative…I wish he'd just acknowledge you already…" Grace huffed.

"Thank you, Talonflame." Ash returned Talonflame with a smile before throwing out another pokeball. "Greninja, I choose you!" Greninja appeared from the pokeball, arms crossed.

"Espeon, not bad. Return." Wes returned Espeon before calling forth his last Pokémon: Heracross. This Heracross had a belt around its waist where a Mega Stone sat firmly in the center. "I wish to end this quickly. Heracross…Mega Evolve!" Wes' Mega Ring was imbued on the Snag Machine on his arm; bright light connected from Heracross's Megastone and Wes' ring before Heracross began to change shape. Mega Heracross stood in the field.

"When did he…" Rui mumbled.

"Mega Hearcross…" Ash narrowed his eyes. "Stay on your toes, Greninja!"

"Mega Horn." Wes uttered that simple command. Heracross's large horn shone brightly and it bolted towards Greninja, appearing as a blur.

"Cut!" Greninja formed a blade within its grasp; it met Heracross halfway and slashed at its horn to counter the Megahorn. Heracross's increased strength was far too much for Greninja and it was blown backwards. "Greninja!"

"Rock Blast!" Heracross pointed an arm forward, releasing countless rocks after rocks towards Greninja. With its new Skill Link ability, it was going to be able to keep this up for as long as possible.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Sliding back after the direct Mega Horn, Greninja placed its hands on its sides to 'draw' out the shurikens before throwing them forward at the incoming rocks. It was unable to match the constant assault and was struck, landing on the ground on its back. "Agh…" Ash grit his teeth.

"He seems to be in a corner already…" Elizabeth crossed her arms. "This might be it for him."

"Not a chance…" Serena shook her head. "Ash will overcome this, just you watch!"

"How?" Grace quirked a brow at Serena's statement. "He's at a distinct disadvantage. If the battle progresses like this, then…"

"You're very strong, Wes…" Ash admitted with a tip of his hat. "But…I should let you know something. If you and Heracross are going to get stronger…then we will too!" It was then Greninja stood back up. "Much, much stronger!" In that moment their wills became one. A large torrent of water surrounded Greninja and towered into the sky; that water then sank back down, taking the shape of an X on Greninja's back; Ash Greninja was here!

"WHAT THE!?" Marcus' eyes widened. "What the heck is up with that Greninja!?"

"I've never seen anything like that…." Elizabeth could barely form words properly.

Kasumi was probably the most shocked out of everyone. Though her expression didn't say it, she was eying Greninja very carefully now. "That's just like….."

"…?" Wes tilted his head at Greninja. "This is…very interesting…Heracross, Brick Break!" Heracross bent its knees before lunging forward once again, bringing up one hand in attempt to crush Greninja into the ground.

"Greninja, Aerial Ace!" Greninja's hands and feet shone a bright white as it lunged forward, throwing its fist to collide with Heracross. Using its free hand, Greninja swiftly swung its fist up for a fierce uppercut which landed, following up with a brutal axe kick on Heracross's skull.

What was this…? Wes' blood was pumping…? "Close Combat!" Rebounding from the Aerial Ace quickly, Heracross began to unleash a high speed series of punches and kicks at Greninja while still at close range.

"Cut!" Greninja now formed two blades within its grasp, using this to deal with Close Combat. Neither pokemon let up on each other, clashes occurring every few seconds. Greninja managed to land a hit on Heracross just as Heracross landed a punch on Greninja's chest, both pokemon sliding back from their own power. Having been dealt damage, Ash placed a hand on his side and grimaced in pain. "Agh…"

"Is he…feeling what Greninja feels now…?" Kayla questioned. "I don't get it…"

"….." Kasumi wore the most focused stare she ever held in her live watching Ash.

"This can't be…" Grace mumbled. "How…?"

"Don't stop! Dash at it and use Double Team!" On that command, Greninja sought to close the distance once again, this time creating multiple copies of itself in the process.

"Don't let any of them get close! Rock Blast!" Once again, Heracross released a stream of rocks that began to mow down the Greninja copies. The copies turned into puffs of smoke when they were hit…but when they were all gone, there was no Greninja! "Wha…"

"Now! Water Shuriken!" From the sky above, Greninja began to glide down by use of the Shuriken on its back. In that moment, Ash and Greninja performed the same movements: removing the shuriken and holding it up as it briefly grew in size before throwing it down, watching as it fell like a meteor to the ground towards Heracross.

"Rock Blast!" Heracross released yet another stream of rocks, but to no avail. The Water Shuriken cut them all down and hit Heracross for a massive explosion. When the explosion faded, Heracross lay on the ground with swirls in its eyes, reverting back to normal.

"Heracross is unable to battle! Therefore the winner is Ash!" The referee pointed at Ash just as Greninja reverted to normal.

"And there you have it! We now have our top 4 entries!" The announcer shouted as the pictures of Marcus, Grace, Elizabeth, and now Ash appeared on screen. "Our semifinalist fight will be…!" Mixing the pictures around, it finally stopped on the next two matchups: Marcus vs. Grace, and Ash vs. Elizabeth. "And there it is!"

The Kalos Tournament is reaching its climax! Which of these four will ascend to the final round and take it all before the bigger confrontation!? Find out, next time! .

.

Next Time: Clash Between Rivals!


	9. Chapter 9: Fierce Clash Between Rivals!

Two rivals stood on both sides of the arena. The air was oddly heavy as Marcus and Grace stared each other down. Neither of them said a word; both wearing the most serious expression in the tournament thus far. Sensing this atmosphere, Serena gulped quietly while looking at the others. "I-Is it just me…or did the air get heavier once they stepped into the arena…?"

"I felt it too…" Elizabeth felt tense. "I don't get it…"

Kasumi was perhaps the only person who was unaffected by the immediate tension. "This isn't the first time they've fought. We all travel together as a group, ya know? So we challenge each other a lot and well…neither of us has beaten her."

"Wha!?" Ash's eyes widened at that news. "Is she really that strong…?!"

"Most definitely." Kasumi confirmed. "However! It hasn't been something so pathetic as these clean sweeps she's been getting the entire time. We push each other to the absolute extreme! Every time…we get closer and closer…so I know very soon we're going to beat her. Marcus and I actually have a little competition going on to see who can beat her fist! I kinda wanna see if that happens now…but I don't wanna lose. Poohey…" Arms crossed over her chest, she finished her piece and resumed staring at the two, taking the occasional glance at Ash every so often. His previous battle was still stuck in her mind.

"HERE WE ARE, EVERYONE! THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEMI FINALS!" The announcer blared to the audience that erupted in a thunderous roar. "Who will be victorious!? Will Grace get another sweep, or will we see an upset!?"

"Conkeldurr, if you please!" Grace threw a pokeball out, revealing a Conkeldurr. The bulky pokemon slammed its concrete pillars to the ground, staring at the opponent ahead.

"I got you this time." Marcus declared confidently while tossing a pokeball into the air. "Mienfoo, let's rock!" From the capsule, Mienfoo took a stance. "If you don't mind..."

"By all means." Grace waved a hand. "After you."

Nodding, Marcus threw his arm forward. "Mienfoo, Force Palm!" Mienfoo suddenly took off with impressive speed, darting along the battlefield while its palm started to shine a blue aura. Once close, Mienfoo lunged at Conkeldurr, landing a direct hit on the muscly pokemon's face.

"I see…so you're trying to outmaneuver us with speed. But that won't work. Payback!" Right as Mienfoo made contact with Conkeldurr with the Focus Palm, a purple aura emanating from the fighting type. Just before Mienfoo could retreat, Conkeldurr smacked Mienfoo away with one of its concrete pillars, sending it soaring into the air against its will.

"Agh…! Mienfoo, quick, use Swift!" Quickly readjusting itself in midair, Mienfoo created several stars and launched them all forward, using them as cover to ensure a safe landing.

"Block it!" Grace commanded. Using its stone pillars, Conkeldurr brought them up in a defensive manner, allowing the stars to hit those and deal literally no damage. "Come on, you'll have to try a little harder than that! I know you can do better!"

"Tch…" Marcus grit his teeth before trying another plan of attack. "High Jump Kick!" Mienfoo took to the air once again, swinging its leg violently towards Conkeldurr in attempt to deal a heavy amount of damage.

"Mach Punch!" Right after Marcus issued his command, Grace fired back. Conkeldurr displayed a frightening speed that shocked everyone. Right before Mienfoo could wind up its kick, Conkeldurr slammed it back down with a Mach Punch.

Seeing his plan was shut down before it even began, Marcus' eyes widened. "Mienfoo…!"

"Fling!" Fling was a move that required a held object to be thrown. Wait…yes, that's exactly what Grace was going for. Conkeldurr hurled a pillar right at the defenseless Mienfoo! A direct hit it was too. Mienfoo flew back before landing on its stomach, struggling to even stand back up. "Hmhm…" Grace hummed.

"Tch…" Already, the battle was not in Marcus' favor. "Come on, get back up…!" Right on that cue, a bright light shrouded Mienfoo. The pokemon's entire shape began to change drastically…which could only mean one thing. "It's…"

"Evolving!?"

Mienfoo was no more! What now stood was a fully evolved Mienshao, taking yet another stance as it was ready to keep on fighting. This brought a grin to Marcus' face and he nodded. "All right, let's try this once more! High Jump Kick!" The newly evolved Mienshao was much faster than before, making a move before Grace could even voice a command. Mienshao slammed its leg into Conkeldurr's face, causing it to slide backwards from impact. "Now, Acrobatics!"

"W-Whoa…whoa…!" Grace unexpectedly gasped. "Rock Slide!" Slamming its remaining pillar on the ground, the air above Mienshao distorted slightly before rocks started to fall. Mienshao deftly evaded the falling rocks before elegantly slamming to Conkeldurr with such force it was thrown off its feet, but it recovered quickly. "Fling!" Once again, Conkelduur hurled its pillar at Mienshao.

"Jump on it, then use Force Palm!" What did Marcus mean, jump on it? Exactly as it sounded! Mienshao jumped onto the incoming pillar, darted along it, then used that momentum to push itself even higher into the air, rearing its palm back while falling towards Conkeldurr.

"Focus Punch!" Gathering all of its focus into one fist, Conkeldurr reared it back…and just as it swung forward…Mienshao twisted its skinny body just in the nick of time and slammed its palm into Conkeldurr's skull, driving it into the ground for a decisive KO.

"Conkeldurr is unable to battle! Mienshao is the winner!" The referee pointed at Marcus.

"Wow! Unbelievable! Grace has lost her fist pokemon in the tournament to Marcus!" The announcer was already getting into the battle.

"I told you, this wasn't going to be some clean sweep." Kasumi stated proudly.

"…." Elizabeth said nothing, but kept her eyes on the battle.

"WOW!" Bonnie threw her arms into the air. "This is so cool! They're both so strong! Keep fighting Grace! Keep fighting Marcus!"

"Ah," Grace released out a dreamy sigh while returning Conkeldurr. "I wasn't expecting Mienfoo to evolve like that! That really threw me for a loop…but I guess I can't expect anything else. You're an odd wild card after all. Okay, okay, I'll stop rambling now. Salamance, I need your assistance!" The next pokemon Grace called out was a Salamance that stayed suspended in the air. This particular one held a frightening aura.

"…" Marcus merely gave a nod.

"That Salamance…" Kasumi shivered slightly. "You know she actually caught that thing, right? Fully evolved? It was rampaging and everything but somehow…she managed to catch it. Training it was not easy either…it was a combined effort…but to see her using it. I had a feeling she was serious about this fight…"

"Mienshao, use Swift, then Focus Blast!" Mienshao created several stars once again, only this time they lined in a circle in front of the feline fighting type. In the next instant, using its charge palms, it sent these stars skyward with harsh blue auras trailing behind them. The Swift turning into a Shooting Stars attack aimed directly for Salamance!

"Salamance! Use Aerial Ace!" Salamance did not hesitate. It flew directly into the Shooting Stars, using its incredible aerial evasive maneuverability allowed it to evade the stars even as they exploded. Salamance was struck Mienshao just as a star hit it, causing an explosion as a result. The dragon emerged unharmed from the smoke…but Mienshao was down for the count.

"Mienshao is unable to battle! Salamance is the winner!"

"It was over before it started…" Clemont had a feeling things would turn out that way.

"Man, you really want to make me work for it this time, don't you…?" A dry chuckle was given as Marcus returned Mienshao. "Dewott, it's your turn!" From the next capsule, Dewott appeared and took a stance. "This battle isn't over yet. Dewott, use Ice Beam on its wings!" Dewott opened its mouth, unleashing an electrical beam of ice at Salamance's wings.

"Fire Blast!" Flames protruded from Salamance's mouth before it unleashed a massively powerful blast of fire towards the incoming Ice Beam. The two attacks collided and exploded, creating a cloud of smoke in the center. "Dragon Rush!" Multicolored energy surrounded Salamance's body and dove into the smoke and towards Dewott at blinding speed.

"Aqua Jet!" Water exploded around Dewott's body, giving it a brief, but massive speed increase. Dewott lunged at Salamance only to feint at the last second, circling around to slam into its back, bringing Salamance down slightly. "Now, Razor Shell!" Unclipping the two shells from its thighs, cyan blades emerged from the shells and Dewott swung them both down on Salamance's head, impacting forcing it back down into the ground. "There we go!"

"Salamance, you're fine, right?" Grace tilted her head as Salamance stood back up. "Oh, wonderful!" Clasping her hands together, Grace decided to go on the offensive right away once again. "Fire Blast!" Salamance flew up once again, diving towards Dewott while unleashing another powerful blast of flame.

"Razor Shell!" Dewott drew its blades once again, holding them forward to block the incoming Fire Blast. The flames singed Dewott but it didn't mind.

"Iron Tail!" While Dewott was busy defending against the flames, Salamance was already high above it and brought its tail down for a direct hit, causing Dewott to fly backwards before coming to a rough landing. "Hmhm~"

"Razor Shell!" Dewott recovered quickly, lunging towards Salamance once again with its two aquatic blades.

"Aerial Ace!" Salamance and Dewott met halfway; Salamance swinging its claws while Dewott swung its blades. A close combat situation ensued and neither managed to get the upper hand, resulting in both sides to draw back for another method of attack.

"We're not finished just yet! Dewott! Aqua Jet, then Ice Beam!" Water erupted from around Dewott and it sped towards Salamance once again. Mid-flight, Ice Beam was unleashed to freeze over the Aqua Jet. Dewott was a flying ice spear that planned to finish Salamance right then and there!

"Oh? How innovative. Dragon Rush!" Once again, Salamance dove towards Dewott. The two pokemon clashed in the center; a massive explosion occurred shortly after the collision. Dewott and Salamance both flew back…Salamance was seriously injured as a result. As for Dewott…it was KO'ed.

"Dewott is unable to battle! Salamance is the winner!" The referee pointed at Grace.

"That thing seems like a huge problem…" Rui mumbled.

"Definitely." Kayla nodded in agreement.

"Once again, you've managed to turn the tides…" Marcus sighed while returning Dewott. " situation…nothing I can't handle. Okay, old friend…looks like I'll be relying on you this time. Rapidash, come out!" Marcus' last pokemon was Rapidash. Just by looking at it it was clear that this particular pokemon was battle hardened.

"So you bring it out at last." Grace's lips curled into a smirk. "Now this is going to be even more fun! Salamance, Aerial Ace!" Salamance had to take a second to move; its injuries were something else. Once it took off it soared towards Rapidash, rearing its claw back.

"Megahorn!" Rapidash elegantly galloped towards the incoming Salamance. Just as the dragon swung, Rapidash ducked at the last second and slammed its horn into Salamance's chest quite violently. Salmance was thrown back from the force of the Megahorn and landed on its back, swirls in its eyes to signify KO.

"Salamance is unable to battle! Rapidash is the winner!" The referee pointed at Marcus.

"Well! This is it! Both trainers have one pokemon left! Just which way will the battle turn!?" The announcer was nearly tipping over off his seat.

"These two trainers have certainly been putting on a wonderful show…even I do not know who will emerge victorious." Diantha smiled softly.

"Wow…I'm actually a little nervous…but really excited." Grace admitted while pulling out her last pokeball. "Our battles have always been so close. I love seeing how much you and Kasumi improve with each battle. But don't think that this is the end for me yet. As your senior, I'll show you that you still have work to do. Venusaur, help me out here." And as expected, the might Venusaur made its return for this battle. "Sunny Day!" Grace's first move seemed completely nonsensical. Why increase the power of Fire type moves when you're already at a disadvantage?

"Thanks for making the job even easier. Flamethrower!" Rapidash opened its mouth, unleashing a wave of searing flames towards the grass type.

"Razor Leaf nonstop!" Venusaur unleashed razor sharp leaves to combat the Flamethrower. The idea seemed silly, as the leaves were just burnt and failed to do anything aside from stalling the attack. But one thing was odd…the charred leaves slowly started to hide Venusaur from sight. "Now..."

"You can't hide from us! Flare Blitz!" Rapidash cloaked its body in fierce orange flames, charging forward at max speed into the pile of leaves to strike Venusaur…only there was nothing to hit. The leaves were a distraction! "Wha…!?" Glancing up, Marcus' eyes widened.

Venusaur was positioned upside down, its gigantic bulb pointing down and it already gathered more than enough energy from the sun. "Solar Beam!" A beam of light was unleashed from above, slamming onto Rapidash. The angle the attack came from was insane and not many people thought a Venusaur could even move like that! Once Solar Beam was over, Venusaur began to fall back down to the ground.

"Megahorn when it lands!" Shrugging off the Solar Beam, Rapidash galloped to Venusaur's landing place. With no time to counter, a direct hit was delivered and as soon as Venusaur landed it slid back a few yards. "Now, Bounce!" Using its powerful legs, Rapidash sprang into the air with full intentions of landing on Venusaur using all of its weight and more!

"Dodge it!" Venusaur shook off the Megahorn and deftly sprang to the side just before Rapidash could land on it. A second later and that would've been real trouble. "Now, Solar Beam!" Once again, another beam of light was released and Rapidash took the full force of it, skidding backwards before coming to a halt, faltering slightly from the two powerful direct hits.

"Flamethrower!" Firing right back, Rapidash unleashed a stream of flame at the opposing Pokémon; this time, it was a direct hit and Venusaur even staggered slightly! This caused everyone's eyes to widen as it was the first time Grace's Venusuar showed any signs of weakness. "Now's our chance! Flare Blitz!" This was it, Marcus thought. Rapidash charged forward, completely unopposed since Venusaur needed a second to recover. Sun boosted, super effective Flare Blitz was a direct hit, a fiery explosion occurring on contact! A cloud of smoke surrounded Venusaur and Rapidash leapt back, red sparks appearing due to the recoil damage. "…."

"I-Is that it…?" Kasumi swallowed the lump in her throat. The tension was far too great and even she couldn't tell the result.

A heavy silence filled the stadium. The smoke wasn't clearing, neither Grace nor Venusaur said a thing. It was only right to assume that… "Venusaur is unable to…"

 _Thud._

"Huh…?" The referee stopped and looked at the smoke.

One foot stomped on the ground…followed by another. The smoke cleared and….Venusaur let out a loud roar, shocking the entire audience. _"VENUSAURRRRR!"_

"UNBELIABLE!?" The announcer's eyes widened. "VENUSAUR IS STILL STANDING!?"

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me…" Elizabeth's jaw dropped at some point, she didn't even notice when. "After all that…?"

"No way…" Ash was dumbfounded.

"That Venusaur…is that even normal…?" Serena looked to the others. No one had an answer.

"Whew…!" Grace wiped the sweat from her brow. "That was frightening. I thought you almost had us for a second there." And to make matters much worse… a green aura started to flow around Venusaur to signify one thing: Overgrow. Despite its survival, there was no hiding that it was in a pinch.

"You can't be serious…" Marcus grit his teeth. "Flamethrower, one more time!" Rapidash followed the order, unleashing a massive funnel of flames towards Venusaur one more time.

"Solar Beam!" Unlike the Solar Beam's before, this one was incredibly huge. It tore apart the ground and broke through Flamethrower with ease, colliding into Rapidash. Rapidash was thrown back and landed harshly on its side, now struggling to get back up after such a heavy hit.

"R-Rapidash!"

"Now to put an end to this one! Petal Blizzard!" Grace unveiled Venusaur's final move, and what a situation it had to be for that. Venusaur let out another cry as pink petals began to surround it in a vortex. Stomping on the ground, this tornado of petals literally swept Rapidash from off the ground and took it into the air before slamming it back down violently. After that the petals dispersed slowly and beautifully, gently raining down on the arena. Grace took a bow as if to say she hoped everyone enjoyed her performance…because she knew the result before it was even called. Rapidash lay on the ground with swirls in its eyes.

The referee was so shocked; it took him a second to make the proper call. "Rapidash is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Grace!"

"A-And Grace is the winner…! Therefore she will be moving onto the finals!" The announcer took a deep breath. "What a fantastic battle…!"

"…He was so close this time, too…" Kasumi let out a heavy exhale. "I wasn't even involved and I felt like I lost…"

.

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Next Time: Ash vs. Elizabeth.


	10. Chapter 10: Ash vs Elizabeth

"This is it! The semifinal battle between Ash and Elizabeth! Whichever one of these two wins will advance to the finals to face off against the fan favorite Grace! Who will emerge victorious!?" The announcer's voice continued to hype up the audience.

Ash and Elizabeth were just about ready to start. Considering they were already acquainted due to the incident at the Pokémon Center the other day, needless to say they were both looking forward to this. "I've been looking forward to facing off against you, Elizabeth! Okay, Hawlucha, I choose you!" Ash's first Pokémon of choice was Hawlucha! The luchador pokemon flexed upon being called out.

Elizabeth grinned slightly at Ash's words, nodding ever so slightly before pulling out her own Pokeball. "Don't disappoint me now. Lucario, let's go!" Elizabeth's first pokemon of choice was Lucario! Two fighting types squaring off against each other…the final fight of the semifinals was about to begin! "Lucario, Bullet Punch!" Immediately on that command, Lucario lunged towards Hawlucha with one fist reared back.

"Hawlucha, X-Scissor!" Hawlucha crossed its arms in an X formation and flew towards Lucario. Both pokemon passed each other and the resulting impact was literally explosive. A shockwave boomed out and both Hawlucha and Lucario tumbled before catching themselves on the ground.

"Flash Cannon!" The spike on Lucario's chest gathered energy in the shape of a metallic silver sphere, which then turned into a sizeable beam of steel towards Hawlucha. It was a direct hit, however Hawlucha blocked it and only managed to slide back a few feet.

"High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha took a powerful leap into the air, swinging its knee at Lucario with reckless force!

"Iron Tail!" Lucario's tail shone brightly and it swung it to counter Hawlucha's High Jump Kick. The two clashed powerfully before Lucario was forced to the ground while Hawlucha took to the air, which was more than perfect position for Ash's next move.

"Flying Press!" Tucking its body in for a moment, Hawlucha spread its arms and legs and proceeded to glide down towards Lucario.

"Aura Sphere!" Unfortunately for Elizabeth, Hawlucha was already too close for comfort. Lucario had to create a sphere of energy and use that to counter the Flying Press. Hawlucha landed right on Lucario as it threw the sphere forward, yet another explosion occurring. Both pokemon were thrown back violently.

"High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha performed several flips on the ground before leaping forward yet again, going for the finish with another High Jump Kick!

"Dodge it…!" Elizabeth's command was a tad panicky. Lucario recovered just in the nick of time to evade Hawlucha's High Jump Kick; shifting its body to the side just before Hawluca could strike. As a result…the recoil damage taken from a failed High Jump Kick was more than enough for Hawlucha to KO itself.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle! Lucario is the winner!" The referee pointed at Elizabeth.

"Not a great start." Marcus nodded.

"Ash will win, just watch!" Serena was very conifdent in her assertion.

"Thank you, Hawlucha." Ash returned Hawlucha and nodded appreciatively. "Okay. Goodra, you're up next!" Ash's next pokemon was Goodra! The gooey dragon gave a friendly smile to its opponent before that serious look appeared to replace it.

"A Goodra? I'm not familiar with this pokemon all too well…" Elizabeth mumbled. "Lucario, Bullet Punch!" Taking the initiative once again, Lucario darted towards Goodra to deliver a series of high speed punches.

"Goodra, Dragon Pulse!" Goodra let out a cry whilst gathering energy within its mouth before releasing it all. The ensuing multicolored beam Goodra released took the form of a roaring dragon. Lucario's eyes widened and before it could do anything else, it was consumed by the Dragon Pulse and thrown backwards into a wall, swirls in its eyes to signify its KO.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Goodra is the winner!" The referee pointed to Ash and Goodra.

"Goodra's the best!" Bonnie giggled. Dedende nodded several times in agreement.

"Certainly seems like a strong pokemon indeed. I wanna fight it with Dragonite!" Kasumi grinned…but the side eyes from Grace and Marcus shushed her. "Mmm…"

After returning Lucario and praising it for a job well done, Elizabeth went to her next Pokémon, "Gardevoir, you're up next."

"Oh! It looks like Elizabeth is going for the classic type advantage! What will Ash do next?" The announcer was curious as to how Ash would react to Fairy type being on the field against his Dragon.

"Gardevoir, use Thunder Wave!" Gardevior pointed both arms forward, unleashing several rings of electricity towards Goodra. It was a direct hit and Goodra was surprisingly thrown back, several sparks appearing as it was successfully paralyzed. "There we go, that should hinder any funny business. Now, Shadow Ball!" On that command, Gardevior unleashed an onyx sphere towards Goodra as it was still recovering from the Thunder Wave. Boom! Another direct hit and a small smoke cloud filled the space.

When the smoke cleared, Goodra emerged relatively unharmed and wore a grin despite its paralysis. "It's gonna take more than that to take Goodra down. Now, use Rain Dance!" Goodra let out a cry, generating several dark clouds that caused a severe downpour. Because of Goodra's ability: Hydration, it was cured of its paralysis instantly.

"It's got good resistance…" Elizabeth made this mental note before pushing her offensive momentum forward. A little rain wasn't going to stop her. "Shadow Ball, once again!" As such, Gardevoir unleashed another Shadow Ball towards Goodra.

"Dragon Pulse!" Goodra released another multicolored beam of energy that clashed with Shadow Ball, creating an explosion within the rain. "Ice Beam!" Switching up attacks, Goodra then unleashed a strong frigid azure beam at Gardevoir. It cut through the smoke and struck the psychic type, forcing it to slide back some.

"So, that's how we're doing this?" Elizabeth's lips curled to a smirk, more than willing to play the long range game. "Psyshock!" Gardevoir spread its arms out, several chunks of psychic energy swirling around Goodra. Bringing its arms in, these chunks quickly moved in to deal a surprising amount of damage on Goodra's physical side.

"Use Bide!" Goodra braced for impact, grunting in pain as the chunks of energy crashed into it. Goodra held strong, a red aura flaring around it as it endured the damage.

Bide was a dangerous move if given the opportunity; if it snowballed it would surely tip the tide of this even battle. Therefore, Elizabeth was determined to ensure Bide's failure. "I won't let you get that off! Moonblast!" Gardevoir held its hands up, the rainy sky darkening to a night ambiance. The moon briefly appeared within Gardevoir's hands before a pink beam of energy was unleashed at Goodra. Because it was storing energy and unable to move, it had no choice but to take the super effective hit, flying until it landed on its back.

"Goodra…!" Ash's eyes widened from the unexpected Moonblast. But…fortunately for him, Goodra was wounded, but nowhere near out just yet. "Let it all go!" Goodra opened its mouth, releasing a gigantic white beam of pure destruction towards Gardevoir, who had no defense for it whatsoever and had to take it.

"Gardevoir!" Elizabeth's eyes widened as Gardevoir was thrown backwards, landing harshly on its back with some serious damage. "Are you all right!?" The psychic type slowly picked itself up, giving a slow nod while staggering a little bit. "Let's wrap this up…Shadow Ball!" Using the last of its strength, Gardevoir fired off one final Shadow Ball towards Goodra.

"Ice Beam!" Goodra reared its head back before firing off another Ice Beam that clashed with Shadow Ball. The collision of the two resulted in a widespread explosion that turned into a thick cloud of smoke. All fell silent as the smoke resided…and when it cleared, both Goodra and Gardevoir were down.

"Both Goodra and Gardevoir are unable to battle! This is a draw!"

"Ahhhh, this battle has my heart racing…This isn't good for my heart, is it?" Bonnie let out a heavy sigh but that didn't remove any of the stress she was feeling just by watching Ash and Elizabeth go at it.

Both Ash and Elizabeth returned their respective Pokémon. They were on their last legs now so the winner of this last bout would advance to fight Grace in the finals! "Pikachu, I choose you!" Pikachu hopped from the sidelines and into battle, excited sparks flickering from its red cheeks.

"Pika pika!"

"Pikachu, huh? I suppose I'll go with you now, too." Tossing a pokeball in the air, Zoroark appeared for battle. "No tricks, no illusions. Just a full out fight!"

"Sounds good to me!" Ash grinned and brought an arm up. "All right, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" On that command Pikachu darted forward with lightning speed, ramming head first into Zoroark and using its own momentum to bounce off it. "Thunder Bolt!" A quick follow up right after Quick Attack; Pikachu unleashed a strong bolt of lightning at Zoroark that was a direct hit, dealing a moderate amount of damage before it landed back on the ground.

"Quick succession attacks…Zoroark, use Shadow Claw!" Darkness formed along the length of Zoroark's arm in the shape of a claw. Lunging forward, it aimed a critical slash at Pikachu.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu immediately swung its tail at Zoroark's, clashing with the illusion pokemon only to enter a stalemate.

"Not bad…" Elizabeth nodded. "But Zoroark still has a free hand!" Right as she said that, Zoroark used its free hand to aim a Shadow Claw at Pikachu. It was a direct hit and Pikachu tumbled along the ground before coming to a halt. "Now, Flamethrower!" Zoroark opened its mouth, releasing a scorching stream of flames at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu stood up quickly, leaping into the air to slam its tail into the ground, kicking up a massive wall of rock and dirt from the arena that effectively snuffed out the Flamethrower.

"Oh?" Elizabeth hadn't thought about using the battlefield like that. "Interesting…"

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu jumped into the air once again, unleashing another bolt of lightning at Zoroark.

"I'm going to borrow that. Aerial Ace!" Zoroark dragged its claw along the field before fiercely swinging it up, kicking up a large amount of dirt just like Ash did prior. This dirt was more than enough to block the Thunderbolt. "Now attack when it lands!" Zoroark kept dashing as Pikachu fell. Right when Pikachu landed Zoroark punched it in the face, causing it to skid back before coming to a halt. "Night Daze!" Zoroark began to gather darkness within its palms before throwing them forward, unleashing a beam of darkness that could potentially lower accuracy if it was a direct hit.

"Electro Ball!" Pikachu accumulated electricity on the tip of its tail in the shape of a golden sphere. When that sphere was ready, Pikachu spun in a half circle and tossed that sphere forward to clash with the Night Daze. Both attacks struggled to overpower one another for a few seconds before they collapsed on each other and exploded. "Quick Attack!"

"Shadow Claw!" Both Pikachu and Zoroark darted towards each other. Pikachu at high speeds while Zoroark packed power; the two passed each other right at the climax of their attacks, sliding to a halt just after impact. All fell silent until…Zoroark fell to a knee, while Pikachu flat out collapsed onto its stomach, swirly eyes saying it all. KO.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Therefore the winner is Elizabeth!" The referee pointed at Elizabeth.

"And there we have it! The two in the finals is none other than Elizabeth and Grace!" The announcer stood up from his seat, clearly more excited than anyone else here. "After such a fierce tournament, we've finally come to the end! Which one of them will emerge victorious!"

"Not bad, Elizabeth!" Ash walked into the battlefield and picked Pikachu up, smiling towards the female. "Good luck in the finals!"

"Mhm, you too." Nodding, Elizabeth briefly smiled before looking in the stands, exchanging a competitive stare with Grace. Oh, boy, these finals were about to be fierce indeed…

.

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Next Time: Fierce Finals! Grace vs. Elizabeth.


	11. Chapter 11: Fierce Finals!

"AND HERE WE ARE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT'S TIME FOR THE FINAL BATTLE OF THE PRELIMARY KALOS TOURNAMENT! We have a fierce battle on the way between the fan favorite, Grace! And Elizabeth, Sinnoh's tournament winner! Which one of these females will rein supreme!?"

"This is gonna be a good one, I can tell." Marcus crossed his arms. "But of course, I have to go with Grace."

"Agreed." Kasumi nodded. "Elizabeth's good and all, but Grace has this in the bag. There's no stopping her once she gets on that winning momentum, as you all can clearly see."

"So Elizabeth is the underdog? Lore chuckled softly. "I root for the underdogs, so I wanna see how this one goes."

"I don't want Grace to win. She's mean in battle." Kayla huffed. Her remark wasn't exactly off to the point where Marcus and Kasumi could refute it.

"I just can't wait to see who wins!" Ash grinned widely. Heck, he wasn't even bothered by his loss in the previous round because he knew that this final round was about to be incredible.

"I kinda want this to be over…but I also want to see who wins…" Rui was definitely at a crossroads. At some point she found herself sucked into the excitement each and every battle had to offer.

"Well well, here we are." Grace placed her hands on her hips, smiling at Elizabeth from across the battlefield. "The last two standing after a rough tournament. I don't even know what lies on ahead, but I do know that I will be winning this one. So I recommend that you don't hold back…otherwise it probably won't end too well for you."

"You tend to be rather snarky when you think you've already won." Elizabeth shook her head. "That's a bad habit to have, you know? No battle is decided from the beginning…but I'm looking forward to being the one to take down that Venusaur."

"Oh, I didn't bring it this time." Grace sighed. "It worked so hard against Marcus and Rapidash that I thought it deserved a break. …But I do hope that doesn't pose a problem. I'm at my best no matter if it's with me or not."

"…No problem at all." Elizabeth was a little disappointed to hear she wouldn't be facing the mighty Venusaur, but she intended to win no matter what. After the small talk was over, she threw her first pokeball into the air, calling forth her Gardevoir. "Gardevoir, let us begin."

"Electivire, come out!" Grace's first pokemon of choice was Electivire!

"Gardevoir vs. Electivire! The final round has officially begunnnnnn!" The announcer shouted.

"Even I am curious as to who will win…" Diantha was merely thinking aloud.

"Electivire, use Thunder!" Electivire gathered a large mass of electricity within its body only to inject its tails into the ground. The ensuring discharge caused an electrical shockwave to pulse throughout the ground while kicking up large chunks of debris that began to fall back to the ground.

"Gardevoir, dodge it!" Gardevoir took that command and began elegantly stepping around the falling debris. There was no time to even do anything else with the battlefield itself raining down on her.

"Ice Punch!" While Gardevoir was busy evading the falling debris, Electivire used this as an opportunity to sneak up on it and smash its ice coated fist into its chest, throwing telepathic pokemon backwards before landing on its feet with a grimace.

"Shadow Ball!" Elizabeth immediately retaliated. Gardevoir's counterattack was instant and a Shadow Ball was fired off, striking Electivire in the chest with enough force to send it skidding backwards across the ground. "Moon Blast!" The arena suddenly dimmed to a night ambiance, the moon appearing within Gardevoir's hands. With the power of the moon behind it, Gardevoir released a gigantic pink ray that cut across the battlefield.

"Thunder!" Elecivire gathered another mass of electricity within its body before throwing its hand forward; the bolt of lightning it fired clashed with the Moon Blast, resulting in a large explosion upon collision.

"Thunder Wave." Elizabeth had an idea in mind; one that she was certain Grace would fall for. Gardevoir extended its hand, unleashing a jolt of electricity to strike Electivire. Of course it failed for her, as it activated Electivire's signature ability: Motor Drive.

"Hah?" Grace quirked a brow, merely grinning as Electvire began rotating tis arms with more electricity sparking around its body. "What an odd move…but we'll use it nonetheless. Wild Charge!" A fierce yellow aura of lightning flared around Electivire and it rushed forward towards Gardevoir with vastly increased speed, closing the gap within the blink of an eye.

" _Got her."_ Elizabeth's lips curled up into a tiny smirk. "Shadow Ball!" Perhaps her plan was a little mistimed. While Gardevoir managed to fire and land a point blank Shadow Ball, it was also hit with a powerful Wild Charge in return and flew back until it landed on the ground on its back. "Tch…! Psyshock!" Using its psychic powers, chunks of energy formed around Electivire to collide into it, dealing damage on top of already taking recoil from Wild Charge.

"Thunder!" Though it took quite a bit of damage, Electivire sped forward once again. However, Thunder came in a different variant this time: Electivire used its tails to wrap around Gardevoir's arms and waist before releasing Thunder at full power. Gardevoir couldn't resist as it received a shock to its system.

"G-Gardevoir…!" Elizabeth's eyes widened and the only thing she could do was watch until Electivire finally let go. Gardevoir just fell to the ground and didn't move an inch.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle! Electivire is the winner!" The referee exclaimed while pointing at Grace.

"One Pokémon has gone down! But it's still anyone's game!" The announcer vocalized.

"Trying to draw her in was a smart idea…but Electivire's speed was miscalculated." Clemont said while adjusting his glasses. "I knew about the speed increase from Motor Drive, but that was a little bit more than I was expecting and I doubt Elizabeth was expecting it either…"

"Elecitvire, return." Grace unexpectedly returned Electivire while Elizabeth did Gardevoir.

"You're withdrawing?" Elizabeth questioned before bringing forth her Vaporeon to battle now as her second pokemon.

"For reasons." Grace replied before calling forth her second pokemon. "Ursaring, you're up!" Ursaring let out a roar before standing across from Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon, Aurora Beam!" Elizabeth wasn't going to let Grace one up her again. Vaporeon opened its mouth and unleashed an ice cold rainbow beam towards Ursaring.

"Slash!" Ursaring reared its arm back before bringing it down for a diagonal slash to cut right through the Aurora Beam.

"Muh…!?" Elizabeth's eyes widened but only for a second. "Quick Attack!" Vaporeon then lunged forward, sprinting across the battlefield before ramming headfirst into Usaring's stomach. Right in the center of the ring. Bullseye, one may say.

"Hammer Arm!" Right after Vaporeon slammed into Ursaring, the bear raised its arm up and violently slammed it down onto the eeveelutions back, crushing it into the ground with brutal force. Right after, a blue aura appeared around Ursaring's body and traveled down; Ursaring's speed dropped after use of Hammer Arm.

"Water Pulse!" Vaporeon weakly lifted its head up, unleashing a sphere of water point blank at Ursaring. Water exploded into a small wave and Ursaring was carried off until it finally landed on its back.

"Ursaring…!" Ursaring stood back up…but something was wrong. Its eyes were red and it was in a daze! "Huh….!? Oh, don't tell me…!"

"It looks like Ursaring is confused!" The announcer shouted.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…! Snap out of it and use Double Edge!" Ursarign roared before rushing forward and…well, it was just a mess. It somehow hit itself in confusion and staggered backwards along the battlefield, leaving itself completely open.

"Aurora Beam!" Shaking off the vicious impact from Hammer Arm, Vaporeon opened its mouth yet again to unleash an ice cold beam at Ursaring. This time, it was a direct hit and Ursaring was thrown off its feet and crashed on the ground on its side, wincing in pain.

"Oi oi!" Grace shouted at Ursaring, clearly annoyed by its performance thus far. Honestly, who isn't even the slightest bit upset when their pokemon starts hurting itself in confusion? "Get your act together, Double Edge!" Ursaring roared once again and actually did what it was told this time, delivering a reckless life-risking tackle on Vaporeon for considerable damage.

Vaporeon slid backwards while howling in pain, nearly collapsing from the damage it took, but Ursaring was still open and it was now or never to attack. "Water Pulse!" Vaporeon quickly released another sphere of water towards Ursaring that exploded on contact. The normal type stood no chance after the recoil damage and fell onto its side with swirls in its eyes to show its KO.

"Ursaring is unable to battle! Vaporeon is the winner!" The referee pointed at Elizabeth.

"We're still in this battle." Elizabeth said with a firm nod.

"My, my…" Grace shook her head while returning Ursaring. "Confusion is so annoying…but what can you do? We lost that round fair and square." Her blithe outlook on the matter was actually a tad annoying, yet it was clear that she was just a little bit salty at the end of the day. "Salamance, let's wrap this up." Salamance made its return to the battlefield, roaring while touching down on the ground.

"Salamance, huh?" Elizabeth made note of this pokemon: the one that defeated Marcus' Dewott and Mienshao in the previous semifinal battle. "Vaporeon, Quick Attack!" Vaporeon struggled to get started due to the damage it took prior, but it forced itself off its feet and darted towards Salamance at high speeds.

"Aerial Ace!" Salamance spread its wings and glided along the ground while rearing its claw back. Salamance and Vaporeon crossed each other in a flash and remained still. The result was clear: Vaporeon just fell over, unable to continue the battle.

"Vaporeon is unable to battle! Salamance is the winner!" The referee pointed at Grace.

"She's down to her last pokemon…" Kasumi tilted her head.

"Hrm…thank you, Vaporeon." Elizabeth returned Vaporeon with a smile. "Charizard, let's finish this." The real Charizard this time. Elizabeth's last pokemon was one of Kanto's starters, and it let out a mighty roar to let everyone know it would be fighting until it dropped. "Fire Punch!" Igniting its fist in flames, Charizard flew into the air where Salamance was and aimed a fiery fist at it.

"Aerial Ace!" Salamance flew down towards Charizard and clashed with it. It wasn't long before the two dragons were flying about in the sky; literal sparks were flying as the two opposing pokemon flew past each other. Charizard landed a punch, Salamance landed a slash, and this battle could have been going either way! "Iron Tail!" Salamance performed a flip midair, slamming its hard tail onto Charizard's head, sending it rocketing it back down to the ground.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Charizard recovered and opened its mouth, unleashing a stream of flame at Salamance. It was a direct hit and Salamance was shot out of the sky!

"Gah…" Grace bit her lip. Salamance flipped and recovered before staying airborne. "Fire Blast!"

"Flamethrower!" Once again, the two pokemon flew high into the sky, spewing flames at once another. It all happened so fast, all the audience could see were flames flying from one side to the other, Salamance hit Charizard and Charizard hit Salamance, neither side giving an inch.

"Dragon Rush!" Changing the game, multicolored energy erupted around Salamance's body in the shape of a dragon. Diving down, Salamance crashed into Charizard at full throttle, rocketing the fire pokemon back into the ground with tremendous force.

"Charizard…!" Elizabeth almost took a step forward to see if Charizard was okay. It wasn't. Bruised and battered, but still willing to stand up despite losing the battle. Charizard let out a powerful roar as flames erupted around its body; Blaze was active!

"Charizard's in pinch! But Blaze as has activated! Is a comeback possible now!? Will the upset happen!?" The announcer questioned.

"Now that's more like it. Fire Punch!" Vicious flames erupted on Charizard's fist, a blaze much stronger than before. Flying forward, Charizard slammed said fist into Salamance's stomach and sent it higher into the air. "Dragon Tail!" Not missing a beat, Charizard's tail covered itself in screen scales before paying Salamance back for earlier by slamming said tail on its head to send it towards the ground.

"Salamance, are you okay!?" Grace shouted up at Salamance as it recovered. The answer was originally going to be yes, but flames appeared around Salamance to deal extra damage. "Ah…!"

"Salamance got burned…!" Kasumi started leaning on and over Marcus while staring into the sky as the battle began to reach its climax. "Don't give up yet! It's not over! Fight Salamance!"

"Flamethrower!" Charizard inhaled for a only a second before releasing an incredibly large funnel of flames at Salamance that scorched the very air it traveled through.

"Fire Blast!" Salamance briefly reared its head back before unleashing a massive beam of fire to the incoming Flamethrower. The two fire attacks clashed before exploding in the center, filling the sky with smoke with their raw power. "Iron Tail!"

"Dragon Tail!" Despite the smoke obscuring vision, the two aerial pokemon charged forward regardless of this fact. Their tails collided and a powerful shockwave boomed out, instantly clearing the smoke that filled the air. There was a power struggle before both of them were forced away from each other only a small distance. "Flamethrower!"

"Fire Blast!" Once again, both sides took higher into the air to spit flames at one another. Just like before, it was duel in the sky where ones flames would overtake the other!

"If this keeps up…" Serena started to lean forward, completely captivated by the battle taking place. "Charizard could win and then beat Electivire!"

Though Marcus was practically supporting Kasumi's weight at this point, he didn't say a single word and just kept his eyes on the battle. "…."

"Hey…" Kasumi stared at Grace, noticing the smile on her lips. "She's smiling…! I've never seen her make that face with anyone excluding us!"

"She must be having fun," Marcus concluded. "I think she's found another person to take seriously, now."

"Elizabeth's having fun too." Kayla pointed out.

Rui nodded. "She's been smiling this whole time, whether she's realized it or not…"

"Aerial Ace!"

"Fire Punch!" Charizard and Salamance swung their arms at each other fiercely. Charizard landed a punch on Salamance's face, while Salamance landed a slash of Charizard's chest. The power both sides displayed stunned the audience into silence! Both sides flew back a great distance after striking each other and Salamance only took more burn damage.

Grace then threw her arm up before pointing at Charizard. "Salamance, Dragon Rush, full power!" Salamance roared while rearing its entire body back, draconic energy flaring around its entire body to take the shape of a roaring dragon. With no warning, Salamance hurtled towards Charizard.

Almost in time with Grace, Elizabeth pointed at Salamance. "This is it, Charizard! Flare Blitz!" Charizard howled while a powerful aura of searing flames surrounded its entire body. The flames were so hot they turned blue. Charizard then flew towards Salamance with full power. The two clashed in the middle of the sky while letting out tremendous roars. At the end of it all, a massive explosion occurred on the spot. Black smoke shrouded the battlefield and obscured Salamance and Charizard from all prying eyes. When that smoke cleared…..

"Charizard is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Grace!"

"AND THERE IT IS! GRACE IS THE WINNER!" The announcer could finally unleash all of his stress from watching the last few battles.

"What a fantastic show on both sides. Truly wonderful." Diantha nodded.

"Ahhhhhhhh…" Bonnie let out a heavy sigh. "I think I lost a few years watching all those fights…but they were so much fun!"

"Whew…" Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh herself. She was tense the entire time. "Thank you, Charizard…"

"Haaaaaaaa…." Grace brought a hand to her chest, exhaling heavily. "Don't scare me like that! I really thought you were about to win for a second there…I'm too young for this level of stress." It was a definite roundabout way of Grace saying she had a fun time. The two girls walked over to each other for a firm handshake, a show of excellent sportsmanship.

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Sometime later at the mini award ceremony, Diantha stood before the top 8 representatives and smiled. "You all fought wonderfully. I cannot wait to see how you will perform in the main tournament one week from today. As the winner of this tournament, Grace will be appointed your team leader. It is up to you all how to bond as a team and prepare for the tournament ahead. You will receive more details later in the evening." Dianthia then presented Grace with the gold medal, Elizabeth with silver (and she nearly fainted from being in Diantha's presence and receiving such an aware from her) and Ash with bronze. "Thank you all for wonderful battles! May you shine even brighter."

"….." Elizabeth was stunned into silence. Praise from Diantha? ….And she just fainted.

"…O-Oh…" Diantha gave a nervous chuckle. "W-Will she be all right…?"

"…Maybe?" Marcus shrugged.

"Idiots…" Wes mumbled.

From the audience stand, Jessie, James, and Meowth watched the entire thing, and now they were cooking up one heck of a scheme. "These trainers all have some pretty powerful pokemon…" Meowth grinned while rubbing his paws together.

"I think it's time we did a little sneaky snatching…" James nodded while looking towards Jessie. Team Rocket was all on the same page for this matter and perhaps a little too excited for their own good.

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"I see…" Ein nodded slowly while standing outside the Unknown Dungeon with a few other Chiper members. "Unfortunately the boss is unable to make it to assist us with the capture attempt. We will have to do it without him. No matter, we shall obtain the pokemon sleeping inside this cavern. Of course, you're already aware of our presence, aren't you…Mewtwo?"

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Next Time: The Capture.


	12. Chapter 12: The Capture

Back in the Pokémon Center, the top 8 of the tournament gathered around to of course heal their pokemon and discuss about the main tournament. While everyone waited around for their pokemon to be treated, Rui found this to be an opportune time to grill Wes. "There you are!? Didn't you hear me cheering you on in the tournament?! You didn't even look my way! You're so mean!" She then began to comically beat on his chest with cheeks puffed out childishly.

"…" Wes let out a heavy sigh. "I did hear you. But my concentration was on the battles."

"What about after when you lost…!?" Rui was just not going to let this go. "I have so many questions for you…!"

"So she wasn't kidding when she said she knew you." Ash somewhat intruded on the two, though Wes didn't seem to mind since it took Rui's attention of questioning him. "That was a good fight, Wes!"

"Yeah, you too." Wes replied with a nod.

"Don't change the subject on me!" Oooh, Rui was a smart one. And persistent.

"Actually, I have a question for you." Wes crossed his arms. "Why are you here in Kalos? It's quite a ways from Orre…"

"Ah…" Tugging at her jacket sleeve, Rui awkwardly glanced away. "I think that's something everyone should hear, since I think it's really important…" After gathering everyone around at a table, Rui cleared her throat to begin the somewhat important discussion. "Thank you everyone for coming to listen to my odd request."

"Is something the matter?" Serena tilted her head.

"Yes, and no. You see…I'm here because I was asked by a friend in Pyrite Town of Orre to follow the movements of an organization called Chiper."

"Chiper…?" Elizabeth tilted her head.

"…So that's what they're called…" Kasumi mumbled inaudibly under her breath. Didn't seem like anyone else caught her comment.

"Never heard of them." Lore yawned. "What's so special about them?"

"They don't sound threatening." Kayla added.

"It's a long story…but to put it simply…" Rui wasn't sure how to begin. "They capture pokemon and preform horrible experiments on them! They turn pokemon into Shadow Pokémon, closing off their hearts to turn them into fighting machines that attack anything without question!" This was quite a shock to everyone here.

"T-They turn Pokémon into that…!?" Bonnie's eyes widened and she held her pouch closer to her, terrified of the thought of that happening to Dedende or Squishy. "That's horrible…!"

"Seriously…?" Grace crossed her arms. "That's what they do to Pokémon…?"

"Yup." Wes confirmed. "I've been hit by one before in my first encounter. Hit like a truck, too. Those things are not to be messed with."

"Rumors have it that Chiper is lurking in the Kalos Region…so I was sent over here because I have the ability to see Shadow Pokémon…and sometimes people…" Her gaze cut to Kasumi for but an instant. "It was for that reason back in Orre that Chiper tried to kidnap me because I threw a wrench in their plans. Thanks to Wes and I, we were able to stop them! But…as it turns out, there was more to them than we thought. Wes, did you hear about the Shadow Lugia incident?"

"Shadow…Lugia?" Wes blinked slowly before shaking his head. "No…but I assume someone else dealt with it. But that would have been a pretty interesting shadow pokemon…but I digress. This machine on my arm allowed us to stop Chiper soundly."

"What IS that thing?" Marcus questioned. "It sticks out far too much."

"This is called a Snag Machine. I stole it from my former team, Team Snagem. It allows me to steal other people's pokemon. But Rui only let me use it for stealing Shadow Pokémon."

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa!" Elizabeth stood up and pointed at Wes. "You're telling me you used to work for an evil team, broke off from them, stole, and then kept that machine!? You're the shadiest person I've met! And come to think of it…why ARE you here?!"

"H-Hey…!" Rui stood up, placing her hands on the table. "Wes is a great person! He left his team and saved Orre!"

"N-Now now…let's not fight…" Clemont sweated.

"This isn't a fight." Elizabeth reassured the gym leader. "I'm just questioning him. Who knows if he's plotting to swipe our pokemon in secret? With a machine like that, it's certainly possible."

"Shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt?" Serena suggested. "Rui seems to trust him…"

"I don't see why not…" Marcus shrugged.

"I'm not going to cause any trouble." Wes leaned back in his seat casually to the point where it was a little irritating for Elizabeth. "The rest of you, what do you think?"

"He doesn't seem like a bad guy." Ash admitted. "Plus he has Rui's word; we should give him a chance. Right?"

"Mhm…" Grace nodded before looking at Wes long and hard. "I don't see any problems…."

"Hahh…" Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh before sitting down. "I want to say I'm the only rational one here sometimes…"

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"Are you all in position?" Ein questioned his fellow admins: Lady Venus, Dakim, and Lovrina. Venus called forth Steelix, Dakim brought out Swampert, and Lovrina, Gardevoir. There were also a few grunts with various pokemon such as: Houndoom, Bisharp, Skorpi, Stunktank, etc.

"Unleash your power, and Mega Evolve!" By pulling out their Mega Stones, the three admins Mega Evolved their Pokémon; Mega Steelix, Mega Swampert, and Mega Gardevoir stood before the entrance of the Unknown Dungeon.

"Perfect." Ein nodded and with that, all three of them stepped inside. The cave was large and spacious. Sitting in the center was Mewtwo, floating just above the air with its eyes closed. "Mewtwo, we have come for you. If you do not resist, we will be sure to treat you with the upmost hospitality."

"…Begone." Mewtwo uttered. It was not going to tell them again.

"So that's how it's going to be?" The large male, Dakim, grinned while pounding his fists together. "Then we'll just crush you and drag your unconscious body back to the lab! Gyahaha! Swampert, use Hydro Pump!" Mega Swampert planted its hands firmly on the ground before unleashing a gigantic torrent of water towards Mewtwo. Mewtwo, however, did not even budge. A barrier formed in front of it and completely negated the Hydro Pump. "Guh!?"

"Dakim, you Neanderthal…" Venus shook her head. "Lovrina, dear…would you mind assisting my wonderful self on this?"

"Don't, like…order me around like that, old lady." Lovrina stuck her tongue out, but despite the shot at Venus she was willing to cooperate.

"Steelix, use Dig." After Lovrina gave her command, Steelix burrowed deep into the ground.

"Gardevoir, use Hyper Voice!" Lovrina sang her command somewhat obnoxiously. Gardevoir opened its mouth and its voice echoed throughout the cavern. Mewtwo sensed the threat this attack possessed and created another barrier in front of it to protect it from harm. However…because of how loud Gardevoir's voice was, Mewtwo was unable to sense the approaching Steelix that popped out of the ground right behind it.

"Iron Tail! Venus command. Steelix quickly brought its tail down towards Mewtwo, who evaded the attack just narrowly. Steelix's strength was not to be underestimated as it completely shattered the ground on impact.

"Tyranitar, Dark Pulse!" Ein threw out his command now that Mewtwo was off guard. Tyranitar roared before unleashing a beam of darkness from its mouth at Mewtwo. Right as that happened, the other Chiper Peons commanded their pokemon to attack all at once. Mewtwo threw its arms out to form yet another barrier, one that held strong against the assault from all angles. "Perfect." Ein then held up his keystone, a black energy radiating off of Tyranitar. "Tyranitar…respond to the darkness within your heart and Mega Evolve!" A black light surrounded Tyranitar and it Mega Evolved, however there was something clearly off about it. "Shadow Rush!" Darkness shrouded Tyranitar's body and it lunged forward at Mewtwo, clashing with the barrier still in front of it. After a few second struggle, the barrier completely shattered and Mewtwo was thrown back into a wall.

"Blizzard!" Dakim used this opportunity to follow up. Swampert opened its mouth and unleashed a harsh blizzard that actually froze Mewtwo over. The bulky male then smirked, feeling he did more than his part. "How about that? Nothing can withstand the crushing might of Dakim!"

Of course, right as he said that, Mewtwo broke freeze of its Freeze status and glared at the humans who dared to challenge it. Eyes shone neon blue and it brought a hand up, a wave of psychic energy gusting through every non-dark type pokemon. "Begone." A blade of psychic energy shot through the cavern and cut through Steelix, Gardevoir, and Swampert, KO'ing them instantly. Psystrike was not a move to mess with…however there were still pokemon standing that were unaffected by the move.

"Tyranitar, Crunch!" Mega Tyranitar was fast. It appeared before Mewtwo in a flash and bit down on its arm, inflicting a great deal of damage that not even Mewtwo could resist. But Mewtwo instantly fired back with a point blank Focus Blast. The direct hit caused Tyranitar to release Mewtwo and slide backwards before letting out an aggravated roar. Its emotions rose to a fever-pitch, and it entered Hyper Mode.

"What is this monster you've brought before me…this is no pokemon…" Mewtwo questioned Ein. "I sense no rational thought…it is cold…lifeless."

Having the chance to converse with Mewtwo, Ein remained calm and cool, but wore a smirk on his lips nonetheless. "This…is a Shadow Pokémon. Temporarily capable of Mega Evolution. My research has gone into the production of Shadow Pokémon, and now that Chiper has been revived, it has not gone to waste. Join with us, Mewtwo, and we will turn you into an equally powerful pokemon!"

"It's an offer you really shouldn't, like, refuse." Lovrina added.

Mewtwo merely shook its head in disgust. "You humans…never seem to learn."

"I was afraid you'd say something along those lines." Ein merely snapped his fingers. "Shadow Beam." Tyrantiar let out a feral roar before pointing its head at Mewtwo, having accumulated a large amount of shadow energy within its mouth. The energy it gathered turned into a massive beam of darkness that flew towards Mewtwo.

Mewtwo gathered up energy within his hand and threw it forward. It was his variation of Hyper Beam and it clashed with the Shadow Beam. The two overwhelming energies collapsed on each other and resulted in a large explosion that nearly destroyed the cave. A large cloud of smoke filled the area…but when it faded, Mewtwo was gone.

"It ran away!?" Lovrina placed her hands on her hips. "How dare it? Just because we had it backed into a wall!?"

"Obviously, it didn't get a good look at me. My charms would have easily captivated it to stay." Venus flipped her hair.

"Don't sell yourself so much." Lovrina sighed before looking at Ein. "So what now?! We failed! The boss is going to chew us out when he hears about this…"

"I don't think this mission was a complete failure." Ein shook his head and took a few steps forward before crouching down, picking up a Mega Stone that had Mewtwo's color scheme, a wicked grin stretching along his lips. "I believe it was a success."

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Next Time: Team Building.


	13. Chapter 13: Team Building

"Gooooood morning everyone!" Grace gathered everyone outside in the battlefield at the back of the pokemon center…early in the morning. Everyone was still noticeably sleepy yet for some reason this woman was brighter than a Solrock.

"Why….did you wake us up…so early…" Ash questioned with a yawn. He was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes along with Pikachu. "The sun's not even up yet…" He turned to Marcus and Kasumi, both of whom were completely fine. "How are you two so awake…!?"

"We hang out with her 24/7." Kasumi replied. "We got used to it…"

"Unfortunately." Marcus quipped.

"I thought it would be a fantastic idea if we all did some team building!" Grace clasped her hands together with an honest, heartwarming smile. It was clear she really meant no harm, but her timing was just very unfortunate. "We should get to know each other if we're going to be on the same team, you know?"

"You could've picked later hours…" Wes sighed.

"Early Pidgeot gets the Caterpie!" Grace chimed.

"This woman's a slave driver…" Kayla wept comically.

"RIP…" Lore sighed heavily.

"Oh, buck up everyone!" Grace pleaded before placing her hands on her hips. "I just want to get to know you all a little better. It would be bad if we got paired in a doubles battle or something and had no chemistry whatsoever…"

"At least she's thinking ahead." Elizabeth gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Something a good team leader needs to do."

The top 8 trainers weren't the only ones awake either. Turns out, Grace took the liberty of awakening Clemont, Serena, Bonnie, and Rui too! Everyone was getting included in this team building session despite the fact it wasn't even the crack of dawn yet. "That's great and all…" Serena yawned. She was about to fall asleep standing up. "But what are we doing here exactly….? We're not even participating!"

"I want to get to know you all better too, of course. And your Pokémon, too! Don't be shy now." Grace smiled innocently. There was really just no reasoning or questioning her methods. It was all in good thought after all…just terrible timing. "I suppose I'll start!" Grace spun around cheerfully before pointing at herself. "My name is Grace. I was born in Unova but moved to Kanto, and I've been travelling with Kasumi and Marcus for a while now."

"That was a cute introduction." Elizabeth clapped her hands slowly. "I suppose I'm next. I'm Elizabeth, from Sinnoh. I do hope we can all at least tolerate one another, it would be a shame otherwise."

"Wes. Orre." That was really all of what Wes was going to say. Rui tiredly nudged him in attempt to get him to say more, but it wasn't working much to her dismay.

"I am…" Lore's introduction was going to be dramatic, that was already certain. "The darkness that lurks in a night…you may call me, Shadowlore…Lore for short. I hail from the Hoenn region." He ended his little introduction with a little pose.

"…It's far too early in the morning for this." Kayla rolled her eyes before lifting her hand up. "I'm Kayla. I'm from Johto and…" Her eyes slowly started to close and she just ended up collapsing, snoring softly. She fell asleep the second she hit the ground; she wasn't the only one. Bonnie was also asleep as well, she was too young to be up this early.

"Do I have to introduce myself?" Marcus shook his head before letting out a sigh. "Should know me well enough by now. Name's Marcus, mediocre trainer from Kanto." A slight two finger salute was given before Kasumi stepped in the way like the spotlight hog she was.

"Annnnnd I'm Kasumi!" She didn't mind cutting Marcus off in the slightest. She really did enjoy all attention being on her. "Not only am I a fantastic trainer, but I'm a top coordinator as well!" She posed, suddenly having Dragonite and Chansey right beside her. Confetti exploded from around her, just leaving the others completely dumbfounded.

"….She's very colorful." Serena giggled slightly.

"She's over exaggerating a little bit…" Marcus grumbled under his breath.

"I guess that leaves me." Ash perked himself up before grinning. "My name's Ash and I'm from Pallet Town! And this is my partner Pikachu!" Pointing to Pikachu, the electrical mouse let out a greeting while waving to the others.

"And I think that's everyone." Elizabeth nodded.

"This is quite the motley crew we have here…" Wes merely shook his head. He definitely was the odd one out, and that was saying something with everyone here. "Are we done here? I'd like to go back to bed now. I can still get a few more hours BEFORE THE SUN COMES UP."

"We're not done yet!" Grace objected.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Wes cut his eyes at Grace. There was an odd tension building between them before Clemont broke it up.

"Well…since we're all up! I suppose breakfast is in order? I can cook." Clemont's mention of early breakfast caught everyone's attention.

"It's true!" Ash nodded vigorously, swinging his arm around Clemont's shoulder with a wide grin. "Clemont's a really good cook! His food is amazing!"

"Well, if he's offering!" Kasumi patted her stomach and grinned. "Because I could go for a good meal right about now. Early mornings are never fun on an empty stomach."

There was a glint in Clemont's glasses, a confident grin spreading along his lips. "Heheheh…it's time for science to open the door to the future!"

"Oh no." Just hearing those words made Bonnie wake up.

"I have a sinking feeling about the next couple of minutes…" Grace began to sweat.

"You'd be correct to assume that…" Serena giggled nervously.

"I call this…The Automatic Table!" Clemont grinned.

"Y-You know…" Kasumi started. "I'm sure with all of us, setting the table will be a cinch…! Or we could just…you know…go inside…"

"No need!" Clemont was already too far gone in his display. "This table will set itself and no one will have to do a thing!" As he spoke, the table and its many hands began to cover the table in cloth, working on setting plates, cups, and utensils for everyone. "As you can see, this will be finished within only a few moments."

"…It's actually working?" Marcus quirked a brow, finding this convenient to be true.

"Of course! I made sure there was no way this machine could possibly fail!" Clemont was feeling himself. It honestly looked like this creation was going to go off without a hitch…but it started moving faster and faster and the genius in the making was unaware of this.

"…Does it overheat?" Elizabeth pointed at the machine as sparks began to dance around it as the hands were going to overdrive.

Blinking, Clemont adjusted his glasses before turning back to the machine. "Huh…?" And right at that moment, what was supposed to be a helpful creation exploded loudly, catching everyone in its wake. …When it all faded, everyone was covered in smoke and their hair was just completely ruined.

"…And there it is." Serena was internally weeping because her hail turned into an afro as usual, which was a feat in itself considering that it was short. She was not the only one who was upset: Grace, Kasumi, Rui and Elizabeth were about to throw fits because it would take hours to fix their hair. Let's just say Clemont was going to have a hard time smoothing things over with the ladies for the time being for this blunder…

"That's about the result I expected." Wes blew some smoke off of him and merely sighed.

.

.

Several hours later, once everyone settled down it was about time for everyone to get acquainted with their pokemon. Everyone had the chance to meet one another and the meeting seemed to be going pretty well. Rui had a Plusle resting on her shoulder and she crouched down to Bonnie to poke at Dedenne. "That's a cute pokemon you have there!" The ginger smiled. Plusle crawled down as Dedenne introduced itself. Already, the two of them were getting along rather well.

"Hehe, thank you!" Bonnie smiled. At that time Squishy decided to poke its head out to see what all the commotion was about. Bonnie was quick to hold up Squishy for a friendly introduction. "And this is Squishy! Squishy is a strange one…the sun is its food! It doesn't want to eat anything else."

"That is a strange one…" Rui tilted her head. What was Squishy exactly…? She could feel some odd presence from it, but it wasn't malicious is any way. With a shrug of her shoulders, she continued to strike up a conversation with Bonnie.

"So…what's a Pokémon Contest…?" Serena questioned Kasumi, finding her to be a prime source of said information.

"Oh!" Suddenly, Kasumi's eyes lit up at the subject. She draped an arm around Serena's shoulders and started to walk with her. "Well…it's kinda like those Showcases they do around here! You dress up all nice and do fancy moves with your pokemon. But in the second round, you have to fight with your pokemon and out do your opponent..! Ah…you know, it's easier to show than explain!"

"Oh, then do show me please…!" Serena gave a nod. So she and Kasumi went off to practice Contest Battling.

Pushing the doors of the Center open, Marcus emerged with a slight grin. "Looks like everyone is getting along nicely."

"And just where did you run off to?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I made some Pokémon transfers." Marcus confirmed, throwing up several Pokeballs to show off the team he assembled for the incoming tournament: Axew, Gallade, Dewott, Rhyperior, Staravia, and Pyroar (male). "I just a few adjustments." Gallade was clad in a cape that had a mega stone on the back of it; however whatever ring Marcus possessed appeared to be broken.

"Gallade can Mega Evolve?" Elizabeth questioned once again.

"Well…used to." Marcus rubbed the back of his head, showing off the broken Keystone on his wrist. "I won this in a tournament and happened to find Gallade's mega stone a little later. Unfortunately…there was an incident and it got broken."

"That vague. You three don't really talk about your adventures, do you…?" Elizabeth quirked a brow. However it was probably for the best if she didn't press the matter any further since it didn't seem like it was something Marcus was readily willing to answer.

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Grace patted Elizabeth on the back somewhat roughly with a grin. "But if you must know, to put it simply…Kasumi was kidnapped a while ago. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I know it was those Chiper guys now. And after what Rui told us, I'm starting to understand what they did to her…" However that last sentence was mumbled under her breath.

"Chiper…" Elizabeth crossed her arms. "Something tells me we haven't seen the last of them…" Right after she said that, several nets shot out from the sky, capturing just about everyone else's pokemon before lifting them into the sky. "What the!?"

"Who's there?!" Kayla questioned.

Up in the sky, an all too familiar Meowth balloon sat, three figures standing within the middle. "If you ask "Who's there?!"" Jessie was the one to start it all off.

And James was right behind her. "The answer we give is our compassion for the world!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To uphold peace in this world!"

"To carry out the evils of truth and love!"

"The lovely, charming villains!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket soars through the galaxy!"

"A white hole, a new tomorrow awaits us!"

"Something like that!" Meowth added.

"….Alright, guess I'm gonna be the one to ask this." Wes crossed his arms, staring up at Team Rocket in their hot air balloon. "Who the heck are these fruitcakes."

"Fruitcakes?!" James shouted down at Wes from above.

"They're Team Rocket!" Ash said while clenching his hand into a fist. "They're a really bad group of people that go around stealing people's pokemon!"

"Is that it?" Wes quirked a brow. "Sounds like a weaker Team Snagem if you ask me."

"We've never even heard of Team Snagem!" Meowth fired back. "But anyways! We'll be takin' all deez nice 'n powerful pokemon you all have here!" The cat pokemon grinned before laughing.

"Noivern, Dragon Claw!" Ash commanded the trapped Noivern. Noivern slashed at the wire holding it and several of the others, however it was not effective. "Ah…!"

"Nice try, twerp!" Jessie smirked. "But you're not getting out of this one so easily! These pokemon now belong to Team Rocket!"

"These people are terrible!" Kayla yelled. Lopunny, Togekiss, Arcanine, and Swampert were all in trouble and she couldn't do a thing to save them!

As for Kasumi: Chansey, Dragonite, Lucario, and Magmortar were trapped. "H-Hey, hey…!" Needless to say, even Grace's, Wes' and Lore's pokemon were entangled within Team Rocket's web.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be going!" James said with a wave.

"This is why I always leave one behind…" Wes said while pulling out another Pokeball. He only had 5 in his noticeable possession, but now he was preparing to unleash his sixth. "You thugs are amateurs compared to Snagem and Chiper." Wes released a Skarmory right under him, taking off into the air with it. "Skarmory, Air Cutter." On that command Skamory released saws composed of air right at Team Rocket's balloon, slicing through the material with ease.

"W-Wait a second! That's not fair!" Jessie flailed her arms about as the balloon began to fall back to the ground. Once it practically crash landed, the net surrounding everyone's pokemon was undone and they were released. "What's the big deal, you twerp!?"

"Me?" Wes tilted his head. "I think I'm older than these kids by a little bit…but what's your deal, Team Rocket? Tactics like this are very outdated. Keep up with the times. This is shoddy at best. Speaking as a thief, I have room to comment on this."

"Stop being shady!" Kasumi shouted before pointing a hand forward. "Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite opened its mouth and unleashed a large beam of energy that resembled a dragon.

"Wobbutffet, please…" Jessie quickly slapped Wobbutffet forward to use Mirror Coat. After tanking the Dragon Pulse it reflected that attack back at the send with double the strength.

Kasumi was at a loss for words, but Ash was quick to step up to the plate. "Goodra, use Bide!" Goodra hopped in the way, grunting slightly at the damage it took before a red aura flared around its body. Once the Mirror Coat was finished, Goodra unleashed a white beam back at Team Rocket who freaked out about the incoming attack. There was a mini explosion and they all just stood there covered in dust. "Now, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leapt into the air with electricity discharging from its red cheeks. "Pika…CHUUU!" One potent bolt of lightning was sent towards Team Rocket. It was a direct hit and a large explosion took place, sending the trio soaring into the sky.

"This feels baaaaaad….!" All three of them shouted before becoming nothing but a harmless twinkle in the sky.

"Geez…" Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh. "That was extra." She turned to her pokemon, making sure they were all okay.

"We have to deal with them on a near daily basis…" Clemont sighed.

"I am so sorry." Rui hugged Plusle very close to her.

"They are lucky I didn't have the chance to unleash my powers." Lore scoffed.

Wes returned Skarmory before walking over to Grace, shaking his head slowly. "You've grown sloppy 'leader.'" Whatever was that supposed to mean…? No matter, Wes continued on, returning his pokemon and started to walk back inside before Rui stopped him. "What…?"

"Wes…" Rui tugged his sleeve. "Aside from confronting those weirdoes…there's something I wanted to talk about. I didn't get a chance before, but now I'm almost certain…"

"What is it, Rui?" Considering the two knew each other for quite a while, it was pretty easy for Rui to strike up a conversation with Wes.

Rui snuck a glance at Kasumi petting Dragonite before pointing at her. "Kasumi. Something about her has been troubling me since we met. You know how I can see the darkness within Shadow Pokémon, right? Well…ever since I've laid eyes on Kasumi, I've sensed something within her. It's…dormant, but extremely potent. I feel as if…she were pushed over the edge, something terrible will happen."

"What are you saying, exactly…?" Wes glanced at Kasumi before looking back at the red head before him.

"What I'm saying is…" Rui sighed, not wishing this sort of implication on anyone. "Kasumi has a terrible darkness inside her, akin to that of a Shadow Pokémon. I don't know how it would even activate…but the results would be extremely dire.

She might be a member of Chiper…and a threat to everyone else."

.

.

Next Time: The Big Stage! Six Regions Gather!


	14. Chapter 14: The Big Stage!

After the fight with Ash and co a few days ago, Team Rocket decided to inform Giovanni of what was going on. The leader of Team Rocket took their report somewhat seriously, raising a brow at the mention of Chiper. "Chiper, huh…? And here I thought that they were done in not only once…but twice…"

"Do you know something about them, sir?" Jessie asked.

"Chiper is a dangerous organization that has turned many Pokémon in to Shadow Pokémon and shipped them to various regions. Though they have been stopped twice and the production came to a halt, that doesn't mean Shadow Pokémon have completely escaped. Oddly enough…Chiper has been defeated both times by two different people on two separate occasions."

"Who are these people?" James was prepared to make note of them. "We've heard that Chiper has been active from a small, but reliable source. We've seen it in action ourselves."

"The first…" Giovanni presented a picture of Wes. Immediately, the trio began to point comically since he was the one who so embarrassed them a few days prior. "His name is Wes. Not much is known about him…however he was formally a part of a team called Snagem, who allied themselves with Chiper for the supplication of pokemon. He broke off with Snagem and defeated both them and Chiper, also purifying every Shadow Pokémon within the Orre region. The other one is Micheal, some child who managed to defeat Chiper's other leader, Greevil and purified Shadow Lugia, also known as XD001. A pokemon said to be impossible to purify."

"Chiper really has dropped da ball, huh?"Meowth shrugged. "But what are we supposed to do about 'em?"

"I want you to observe them." Giovanni nodded. "And if there is a chance, steal their Shadow Pokémon. All the pokemon in the world belong to Team Rocket, no matter what they are. Shadow Pokémon are dangerous beings whose attacks are effective against every type of Pokémon, you would do well to take caution when it comes to dealing with them."

"Yes, sir!" The Rocket trio saluted to Giovanni.

Once the communication cut, Giovanni turned and stroke the fur of the Persian on his lap in deep thought. "Strange…Chiper's two leaders have been defeated. The organization should cease to exist…but that jailbreak several months back may have something to do with this. It begs the question: who is leading them now?"

.

.

Ein was within the current Chiper Headquarters, running some tests on the Mega Stone found after the confrontation with Mewtwo. "I see…so that's how this is…"

"And just what is it you've found?" Lovrina questioned while crossing her arms, staring at the screen in front of the head scientists. "Does it have anything to do with Mewtwo?"

"Of course." Ein responded, but he didn't even turn to look at the teenager. "This Mega Stone is a part of Mewtwo itself. Therefore, I am able to track its new location. Also…with the addition of shadow energy, this stone will become corrupt and will make Mewtwo an easier opponent. Though our initial capture attempt failed, the result will lead to something."

"So when are we going out? I'm not just going to sit and twiddle my thumbs…research and development is also my field, you know." Placing her hands on her hips, Lovrina tapped her foot impatiently. "In fact, I was the one in charge when you were locked up."

"That's nice." Ein shrugged off Lovrina's comment, only further infuriating Lovrina. Was he just not paying attention, or was he naturally this rude? It didn't matter in the end. "Dakim, Venus, and I will be departing after the analysis is complete. Mewtwo may be able to compete with Mega Evolution; however there are three Pokémon he will have an even harder time with. There is an assignment I need for you to carry out, though. I need you to keep watch over a certain individual."

Lovrina grumbled, arms crossed cover her chest. _"I can't stand the way he talks down to me like that. It's because of my idea that using Mega Evolution on Shadow Tyranitar is even possible. Now he's going and taking all the credit for pushing it onto the other Shadow Pokémon. Hmph…at least the boss and others don't treat me like such a child."_

.

.

And finally…after the last few days, the tournament was here! A gigantic stadium with literally hundreds of spectators on the sidelines was the location for the Regional Tournament. The announcer was a sort stout little man dressed in some gaudy clothing; perhaps the one who organized this entire thing? Either way, he would be serving as the mic man. "GOOOOOD MORNING EVERYONE! IT IS TIME FOR THE LONG AWAITED TOURNAMENT!" The crowd's cheers echoed throughout the entire stadium.

"I was so nervous I could hardly sleep last night…" Grace whispered to the others.

"For the 'leader' this isn't exactly instilling confidence." Wes shook his head while Grace just glared at him.

"Cut her some slack." Rui roughly patted Wes on the shoulder with a pout on her lips.

"I'm excited!" Ash wore a wide grin on his lips. "I don't know how this is going to go down, but we're going to be sure to win!"

"We'll be rooting for you!" Serena smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Here's how this is going to work!" The host began. "As you all know, there was a preliminary tournament to decide the top 8. The top 8 of each region are all worth 1-8 points based on the ranking with the top seed being the leader of that group. The leader will hold the most responsibility for their team. The battles will be 3 on 3 until the final round! As for the points system, whenever someone is defeated points will be added to the winner's point total and as a result their Region's points! The Region with the highest point total will be the winners! Six regions, 48 competitors, which one will win it all!?"

"Seems simple enough." Marcus shrugged. "In the end, it boils down to "don't lose", as always."

"I can only imagine what will happen if someone with a huge point total takes a loss…" Elizabeth tapped her foot.

"So…" Clemont adjusted his glasses. "That would make Grace worth the most at 8, Elizabeth 7, Ash 6, Marcus 5, Lore 4, Kasumi 3, Kayla 2, and Wes 1…"

"Now, for those curious…" The host then held his hand up to display a screen. The way the fights were set up would be as usual: tournament bracket style. Region against region. The first match just happened to be Ash vs. someone from Kanto.

"I'm up first?!" Ash's excitement was just spilling over onto the others. "Let's make this good, Pikachu!" Ash spoke to the mouse sitting on his shoulder, both giving a nod in unison. Ash was just about to run off but ran into someone the second he started to move. "Agh!" And he collapsed with a mark on his forehead, steam comically flowing from it.

"Ouch…" Lovrina fell onto her rear, rubbing the back of her head in annoyance. "What where you're going…!"

"S-Sorry…!" Ash apologized and stood up. He offered his hand to Lovrina but she shooed it away.

"Whatever." Lovrina stood up on her own before staring at everyone on the Kalos team, Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena. "…This is a very strange group of people."

"Can we help you?" Kayla questioned.

"I gotta go! I'll win for us, just watch!" Ash quickly sprinted off to his match.

"I just wanted to see the Kalos Top 8!" Lovrina put on a sweet voice, those green eyes of hers sparkling with what looked like admiration. "Your fights were like, totally fantastic!"

"I don't wanna toot my own horn, but…" Kasumi smirked while using her index finger to rub the top of her lip.

"Don't pay her any mind." Wes said while waving off Kasumi, leaving the blonde annoyed and bewildered. "You can stay, but only if you don't become annoying."

"That's rather blunt…" Lovrina grumbled before finding herself a seat. "But thank you for your kind offer!"

"She seems kinda suspicious, don't you think…?" Elizabeth questioned.

To that, Grace waved a hand dismissively. "Not at all. You're just overthinking things too much! I haven't seen a suspicious thing since we've arrived here, thankfully enough."

"Then I don't think you've been looking hard enough…" Rui's voice had an eerie tone to it as she pointed at the roster up over the field. Scattered through several regions were: Dakim, Venus, and Ein were scattered about the bracket. "Former Chiper Admins…W-What are they doing here…! I-I didn't actually think…" Suddenly, Rui felt her stomach drop. Her job was about to become a lot harder if everything was going south like she thought it would be.

"So, they've wormed their way into this tournament…?" Marcus sneered slightly. "Who would've thought? Seems like we won't be able to have the peaceful tournament we thought we'd be enjoying…"

"Corruption has seeped its way into this tournament…" Lore shook his head slowly.

Kasumi remained oddly silent, clutching a hand to her chest while staring at the screen. In just a little bit, she'd have a fight against Dakim coming up. Was she…shaking? "…."

"Kasumi…?" Grace looked at Kasumi with worry. "Are you okay…are you going to be able to fight…? If he's really a former Chiper admin, then maybe you should…"

"I'll be okay." Kasumi replied with a firm nod. "I'm not gonna lose to anyone, especially that oversized Primape!"

Elizabeth was listening in on the conversation while watching Ash's fight. Of course he was doing exceptionally well, not allowing his excitement to go to waste. Greninja was on the field, putting in work as usual, however that odd phenomenon that occurred during the fight with Wes wasn't happening now. "…What is up with that Greninja..? He dodged the question when I asked earlier…" This was seriously bothering her, because if she had to fight it she knew she likely would've lost. Would Grace have lost to it as well…? That loss against Grace was actually really bothering her despite how accepting she was of it. These thoughts plagued her mind and it didn't help the evil Chiper organization was now within the tournament. Something big was coming and nobody was going to know what it was…

"Well…" Wes rested against the guardrail, grinning widely at the events soon to come. "Looks like things are about to get very interesting. I can't wait to see how this turns out."

.

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Next Time: Kasumi vs. Dakim.


	15. Chapter 15: Kasumi vs Dakim

The first round was already growing tense. Ash and his opponent Blake were both on their last. Greninja vs. Mega Pidgeot. It was already a tense fight that left the crowd on edge. "Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!" Pidgeot flew forward at blinding speed, slamming right into Greninja and knocked it over on its back.

"Greninja…!" Ash shouted.

"Is this is for Ash!?" The host exclaimed.

"Not yet!" Ash clenched his hand into a fist. "We're not finished yet! We're just going to raise the bar even higher! Let's go, Greninja!" Once again, Ash and Greninja were in complete sync. This caused water to explode around Greninja for just a moment before it all focused into a giant Water Shuriken on its back. Ash-Greninja was back once again and needless to say it had everyone shocked!

"There it is again!" Kasumi placed her hands on firmly on the railing with a tight grip. With the way she was moving someone thought she was actually going to tear it off. "What is that thing!?"

"…Again…?" Elizabeth mumbled.

"Let's go Ash-Greninja!" Bonnie waved her arms about.

"W-Wha…" Lovrina rubbed her eyes to see if she was hallucinating. "W-What the…!?"

"Greninja, Double Team!" Greninja bolted forward across the arena, generating multiple copies of itself to charged Pidgeot.

"Steel Wing!" Pidgeot flew into the air before coming back down, proceeding to mow down all the false copies of Greninja with its wings. Each copy of Greninja turned into a harmless puff of smoke, and at the end of it all…the real Greninja was nowhere to be seen! "Huh?!" Blake looked around, but by the time he noticed it would be far too late.

By now, Greninja was high into the air, way above Pidgeot. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Reaching back, Greninja grabbed the shuriken on its back before hurling it forward. The weapon flew through the air at amazing speeds, leaving Pidgeot's beak gapping. Before a command could even be issued by the opposition, the Water Shuriken hit its mark and an explosion occurred. When it faded, Pidgeot lay on the ground defeated, reverting back to normal.

"Pidgeot is unable to battle! Therefore the winner is Ash!" The referee pointed at Ash as Greninja returned to normal. "That is 3 points for Ash! His total is now 9!"

"Nice job Greninja!" Ash and Pikachu ran over to Greninja to give it a high five.

"So…you all want to explain that thing now, or not?" Marcus turned to Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie. "Because that's the second time we've seen it and haven't gotten an explanation…!"

"To tell the truth…" Serena began while rubbing the back of her head. "We don't know what it's called…and we know is that it'ss because of Ash and Greninja's unbreakable bond. All we know is that they become one."

"…I don't get it at all…" Kasumi let out an exasperated sigh and just rested against the railing.

"It's not a Shadow Pokémon…far from it…" Rui muttered. This entire time she was searching for potential Shadow Pokémon, especially with Chiper admins lurking in the ranks. "Kasumi, are you going to be okay…? Your match with Dakim is the last one of the day…I understand if you're feeling tense…"

"I'm fine, I promise!" Kasumi nodded.

.

Behind those shades, Ein's eyes lit up at the sight of Ash-Greninja. What a wonderful spectacle it was! "Ah...is that what the pinnacle of my research looks like unbound…!? Quite fascinating!"

"Calm down, Ein…" Venus gently patted Ein on the back with a reluctant expression. "There are more important things coming soon with your research. Like that Kasumi girl, was it? We haven't seen her in action since the kidnapping…"

"Nascour seemed very pleased with the results of that experiment." Ein nodded. "To produce results similar without any interference…I must figure out this variable and press on it."

"Ha. You research nuts…" Dakim was clearly not one for logistics and science. He wasn't the brute of Chiper for nothing…for better or worse. "I'm just here to beat down anyone who stands in my way! Research subject or not, she will face my wrath!"

"I do hope you change out of that disgusting loincloth first." Venus averted her gaze, nearly gagging. "My fans are waiting for me, so I will go out to my battle next. Adieu, gentleman and brute." With a curt wave, Venus made her way off.

.

As the matches of the first round continued to rage on, Marcus was on a 3-1 sweep so far. Despite being so young, his Axew was quite the powerhouse as it gave a Scrafty and its drainer Daniel from Unova a hard time. "Axew, Dragon Claw!" The tiny dragon pokemon reared its stubby arm backwards, scaly emerald energy wrapping around its hand.

"Scrafty, Drain Punch!" Daniel commanded with a bit of a panic. A green aura wrapped around Scrafty's fist and it lunged towards Axew, hoping to gain the initiative before it could attack. Scrafty aimed a brutal punch at Axew, however the small dragon used its speed and size to its advantage to duck the punch and aimed a vicious slash at the evolved pokemon. A direct hit! Scrafty flew backwards before landing on its side in KO. "Ah…!"

"Scrafty is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Marcus!" The referee pointed. "His point total goes up by only 1!"

"Only one?" Marcus let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't even get a real chance to warm up!"

"That's a pretty strong Axew." Ash grinned. "It took out that Scrafty without much of a fight!"

"In battle, it's pretty fierce." Grace said matter of factly. "But outside its really shy and totally adorable…" Hands on her cheeks, she started to swoon a little bit since it was so cute.

Battles continued to rage on. So far, everyone on the Kalos side obtained their victories despite some rather close calls. Elizabeth, Grace, Wes, Lore, and Kayla all made it through their first round….and to go without saying, Ein and Venus also made it through their rounds as well. Now…all that left was Kasumi and Dakim who was for some reason representing Johto as their 'leader'. For this battle, the field was going to be a plains-like area, providing nothing but open space for either side.

"Whew…" Kasumi stepped onto the battlefield, taking a deep breath. "You can do this, Kasumi…you can do this…"

"You can do it, Kasumi…!" It was almost like Bonnie was reading her thoughts with her cheering.

"Eheh…" Having Bonnie cheer was oddly relaxing. Kasumi smiled before staring ahead. In came Dakim, one of Chiper's admins. Sucking in a quiet breath, her entire body tensed.

"YOU THERE!" Dakim's voice bellowed out. "It's nice to see you again! I'll enjoy crushing you under my foot again! You cannot stand up to the overwhelming might of Dakim!" Dakim wasted no time getting started, throwing his first pokeball to reveal his Claydoll.

"Again?" Ash turned to Marcus and Grace. "Have they fought before…?"

"Unfortunately so." Grace replied. "Kasumi…please don't push yourself. I'd rather you lose than that happen again…"

"Magmortar, on the stage…!" Kasumi threw out her first pokeball which released Magmortar. Not wanting to give Dakim and initiative, she made the first move. "Flamethrower!" Magmortar pointed its arm forward, unleashing a gigantic stream of flame towards Claydoll.

"Claydol, Rapid Spin!" Dakim commanded. Claydol began to spin rapidly just as the Flamethrower struck, however due to its high speed the flames just rebounded off Claydol harmless. "Now, Hyper Beam!" Full out aggression here by Dakim. Claydol stopped spinning and pointed its two side's forward, unleashing two gigantic beams of energy that broke through Flamethrower and struck Magmortar. The direct hit was completely devastating and when the smoke cleared Magmortar was on a knee, heavily damaged. "Ah…! Quick, use Solar Beam…!" Magmortar stood back up, gathering energy from the sun above before slamming its arm into the ground. The fire type released the Solar Beam which turned into a line of golden energy cutting through the ground towards Claydol.

"Earth Power!" Dakim pounded his fists together. The ground underneath Magmortar started to crack and tremble. Just as the ground exploded from Magmortar's feet, a beam of light erupted from underneath Claydol. Explosions occurred on the spot from both attacks…and when the smoke cleared, both Magmortar and Claydol were down for the count.

"Both Magmortar and Claydol are down! This is a draw!" The referee exclaimed.

"Agh…" Kasumi clenched her hand into a fist before returning Magmortar. "Thank you, old friend…"

"How was that?!" Dakim laughed. Even though it was a draw, he could tell Kasumi was rattled by the result. "Even now, you still can't take out any of my pokemon for certain. You're just as weak as you were then."

"….!" Kasumi cringed as if the words actually struck her. Shaking her head, she called out her next pokemon. "Chansey, I'm leaving it up to you!" Chansey came out, flexing those stubby arms of hers with a stern expression.

"Golem!" Dakim hurled out his next pokemon. Golem took to the field, letting out a loud bellow before focusing on Chansey.

Rui tugged Wes' sleeve while pointing at Kasumi. "…Wes. I don't know what's going on…but the more he provokes her, the more I sense that dark aura around her rising. It's slowly reaching a cap…but I don't know how or what will tip it over…"

"Then why don't we keep watching…" Wes responded.

"Chansey, Egg Bomb!" Chansey picked the egg from her pouch and hurled it at Golem. It was a direct hit, a small explosion occurring on contact. But due to Golem's high defenses, it was pretty much unfazed. "Ah…"

"Stealth Rock." Golem lifted its hands into the air, generating several sharp stones that floated in the air around Kasumi's side of the field. These rocks even collided into Chansey to inflict some damage.

"Ah, Chansey!" Kasumi glanced at Chansey in worry, but the tank of a pokemon seemed to be okay.

"Stealth Rock…" Serena mumbled.

"A move that will automatically inflict damage on any Pokémon that comes out onto the field. Meaning Kasumi's at a disadvantage…" Clemont explained.

"It seems Dakim's usual tactics of overpowering the opponent before they can get any momentum started is working in his favor yet again." Ein adjusted his shades. "That poor girl was subject to it last time, and it seems nothing has changed since then."

"Ice Beam!" Chansey briefly inhaled before releasing an electrical-like beam of ice directly at Golem.

"Protect!" A green barrier formed around Golem, effectively rending Ice Beam completely useless as the attack just bounded off of it!

"Seismic Toss!" Kasumi was going for the finish. Chansey darted across the field before latching onto Golem's arm. With one spin and an impressive show of strength, Chansey hurled Golem sky high! "That outta do it!"

"Such a naïve little girl." Dakim was completely unfazed. "Double Edge!" Golem, while in the air, tucked its body in to become a spherical boulder that fell back towards the ground with crushing force. Kasumi was unable to issue out a command in time so Chansey ended up getting flattened with such a heavy pokemon falling from the sky onto it.

"CHANSEY!" Kasumi nearly screamed. Chansey was down, but not out quite yet! "C-Come on…I need you…! I don't want to lose to him again…" Chansey grit her teeth before standing back up, its entire body shining with a neon blue light. "C-Chansey…!"

"W-What's this lightshow?!" Dakim grunted.

"No way, don't tell me…!" Elizabeth found herself nearly leaning over the railing.

"Huh…?" Rui's eyes were definitely fooling her, or something. That darkness she sensed in Kasumi was starting to recede slightly with Chansey's evolution. "What the…? What's with Kasumi…?"

The light exploded from around Chansey to reveal hew new from: Blissey! This Blissey had some sass to it too, because it wasn't going to be taking anymore of Dakim's nonsense. "Blissey…!"

"Blissey…" Serena was quick to pull out her Pokedex to give Blissey a scan. _"Blissey, the Nurse Pokémon. This kind hearted pokemon can sense sadness through its fur. It will rush over to a sad person no matter how far away to share a Lucky Egg to bring a smile to that person's face."_

"WHOA! LET'S GO KASUMI!" Bonnie was restless in her seat.

Speaking of that…Blissey completely ignored the battle for a second to make way over to Kasumi, pulling out a Lucky Egg with a smile on her face. Kasumi couldn't help but smile and nod, accepting the Lucky Egg. "Thank you, Blissey. I feel better already. You ready for round 2!?" To that, Blissey nodded.

"Stop ignoring me!? You're not that confident to beat me! Golem, Double Edge!" Golem started to sprint forward, preparing to slam into Blissey at full power once again. Dakim wasn't taking such disrespect from a little girl.

"Ice Beam on the ground!" Blissey fired off another Ice Beam that completely froze over the ground. Imagine Golem's surprise as it started to slip and slide against its will. "Take it down!" Blissey nodded and her little arm shone a bright white before she lunged forward, using Rock Smash to slug Golem in the face, sending it tumbling along the ice before coming to a halt. "That's the way!"

"You cheeky brat…!" Dakim growled.

"Egg Bomb on the ice!" Kasumi was feeling the stride now. Blissey hurled an explosive egg that detonated the second it touched the ice. Large chunks of the field were uprooted and started to fall towards Golem with violent intent. These chunks did hit their mark, because with someone who only used brute force Dakim wasn't sure what to do against this flashy presentation. "Ice Beam!"

"Enough! Protect!" In order to defend against this silly amount of damage, Golem formed another protecting barrier around its body to nullify everything. "Now, Double Edge!"

"Catch it and use Seismic Toss!" Blissey planted its feet firmly into the ground as Golem rushed it. Golem slammed into Blissey, who attempted to hold her ground to find a time to throw Golem. It was a brief struggle and at the end of it all…Blissey lost her footing due to Golem's overwhelming might. Golem's strength sent Blissey into the arena wall with swirls in her eyes to signify KO.

"Blissey is unable to battle! Golem is the winner!" Said the referee. How did these guys always remain so calm despite the situation they were quite literally in the middle of?

Kasumi walked over to Blissey and crouched down, placing a hand on Blissey's head. "Thank you so much Ch—er, Blissey." Both partner and pokemon smiled at one another before Blissey was returned.

"Seems like you're still weak no matter what. Always taking another to defend you because you can't fend for yourself." Dakim's voice rang too familiarly in Kasumi's ears. She heard those words before and it twisted her heart to even believe they were true; which she thought they were.

"Why is he taunting her like that?" Kayla questioned. "Is that even allowed…!?"

"The more he provokes her…" Rui's eyes narrowed, for that dark aura around Kasumi steadily returned with each word Dakim spoke.

"Don't let him get to you!" Ash shouted. "He's just trying to get under your skin."

"Dragonite." Kasumi called forth Dragonite, much to Grace and Marcus' dismay. Due to the Stealth Rock being in place, those pointed stones dug into Dragonite to deal damage.

"Kasumi!" They both shouted.

"Ha…" Dakim's lips curled into a smirk. "So you feel cornered, do you? Excellent. Time to stomp you out once and for all. Rollout!" Golem turned into a ball and started to roll forward with incredible speed and momentum.

"Aqua Tail!" Dragonite quickly reared its tail back as water surrounded it. Before Golem was even allowed to get close Dragonite brought its tail down and a miniature tidal wave crashed onto the field. With the water draining into the grass, Golem was down for the count.

"Golem is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner!" The referee pointed. Now both sides were down to their last pokemon…

"Swampert, let's finish this!" Dakim called out his trusty Swampert; the Hoenn starter landing powerfully on the ground with a battle plate on its chest; right where a Mega Stone was placed on it. "Unleash all your power and Mega Evolve!" Dakim wasted no time activating his Keystone. Several lights emitted from the trainer and his pokemon before Swampert Mega Evolved. "Now, Ice Punch!"

"Fire Punch!" Dragonite's fists lit up in flames and it flew forward to clash with Mega Swampert's icy fist. The two entered a brief power struggle before they leapt away from each other with Kasumi trying to get the initiative once again. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Hydro Pump!" Swampert planted its bulky arms into the ground to steady itself before unleashing high pressurized beam of water directly at Dragonite's Dragon Pulse. The two attacks clashed in the center and exploded for a pseudo-rain effect. "Blizzard." Swampert inhaled once again before exhaling roughly, creating snowstorm that struck Dragonite for super effective damage! Even Kasumi had to use an arm to shield herself from the unforgiving cold.

"Dragonite!" Kasumi cringed as half of Dragonite's body was frozen over.

"HAMMER ARM!" Swampert was already on top of Dragonite before it could blink, slamming its meaty arm into its frozen side for additional damage while crushing it into the ground! Swampert jumped away, wearing that same menacingly condescending sneer as Dakim. "This is looking just like last time. Funny…no matter what a weakling does, they can't escape being weak. This is the exact same situation that put your two friends in danger…all because you can't protect yourself. This is what happens when you don't obey Chiper like a good girl!"

 _Weak._

That word kept playing over and over in Kasumi's mind, each time with a different tone. Her blond hair created a shade over her eyes…her emotions were starting to reach a fever pitch. "I…I'm NOT WEAK! I'LL PROVE IT TO YOU!" Was she losing control of herself!? A black aura started to visibly make itself known from Kasumi and even Dragonite. This purplish-black aura soared high into the sky before receding slowly. The sight that followed was…shocking. The aura was glowing faintly around Kasumi, whose eyes were a blazing red color to match the angered expression on her face….and Dragonite matched completely. The two almost looked the same in an eerie way. Dragonite's eyes were blazing red and it radiated nothing but pure negative energy; the orange color on its body turned black to show nothing but pure corruption.

"…." Elizabeth could feel the malicious aura radiating off Kasumi and Dragonite…it almost felt like murderous intent. She was stunned into silence.

"Ah…" Lovrina's eyes widened at Kasumi. " _What…what the hell is this…?"_

"I was afraid of this happening…" Grace pounded her fist into the steel railing, her entire arm trembling.

"Kasumi!? Kasumi!" Serena called out to Kasumi, but her voice fell on deaf ears. She didn't even acknowledge anything outside of this battle.

"Big bro…I'm scared…" Bonnie huddled closer to Clemont.

Meanwhile…little Squishy poked its head out from Bonnie's pouch. _"This power…is unnatural…what human would go to such length to expose this terrible darkness of the heart…?"_ Whatever it was, Zygarde was deeply perturbed by it.

"T-That's…A Shadow Pokémon…!" Rui pointed at Dragonite rightfully so. "B-But I don't know what Kasumi is…!?"

"And there it is…" Ein adjusted his shades to get a look at the pinnacle of his research.

"So…that's why he was talking more than usual" Venus crossed her arms. "What an unsightly face…and here I thought her to be cute this entire time. Nothing compared to myself, of course."

"Insecurities disturb this girl deeply…my research showed this much. It only took a little push to bring forth this experimental power we've granted her. Shadow Pokémon are powerful and unbeatable, yes. So…to the tournament and the people of the world watching! I present to you, the world's very first…Shadow Trainer."

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Next Time: The Darkness Wtihin.


	16. Chapter 16: The Darkness Within

"I-I'm not entire sure what's happening here…" The host tripped over his words while staring at 'Shadow' Kasumi and Dragonite. "B-But it doesn't look like this battle is over just yet!"

"This is more than a battle…" Grace mumbled. "This turned into a death match…"

"That darkness is darker than mine…" Lore mumbled. Usually his out of the box attitude would've shown, but even he was clearly aware of the gravity concern this situation.

"ALRIGHT." Elizabeth pointed to Marcus and Grace. "After this is over you're telling us what the heck is going on here!"

"Yeah!" Ash nodded in agreement. "I don't know what this is all about…but Kasumi is suffering down there."

"WE KNOW THAT!" Grace immediately replied with a yell. Her rising tone was unexpected and she quickly realized this before calming down. "W-We can't interfere yet…but after this battle is over, we'll spill…we just have to keep an eye on her."

"…" Marcus said not a word. What could he even say?

"Wes, what do we do…?" Rui tugged at Wes' arm once again.

"We do nothing." Wes replied. "It would be in poor taste to interrupt this little grudge match since it is also a part of the tournament. So we sit back and wait for the battle to end before doing anything."

Somewhere within the audience, Team Rocket was also watching these events unfold. The color drained from all of their faces at the sight of the enraged Kasumi. It just wasn't right and even they knew something was terribly wrong with this picture before them. "W-What's wrong with that twerp girl…?" Jessie asked. "This is far from normal…"

"Shadow Pokémon are very unique in their own right. But it has been shown that they possess one fatal flaw…they can be purified. Their hearts can be unlocked and the cold fighting machines I've perilously worked so hard on fade away into their normal selves. So…I've done some digging and thought, why don't we implement the same techniques on Shadow Pokémon on a trainer instead. Of course the process required use of an actual trainer so we just took one…and the results are, well…as you see before us." Ein reported to Nascour, who was watching from elsewhere.

"Interesting…" Nascour nodded slowly. His pure red eyes gleaming with interest.

"This power is drawn out from insecurities that have been deeply rooted into the test subject. A trainer that can draw forth the murderous intent shadow pokemon hold within them without holding anything back! I shall dub her…: XD-002. Now…let us sit back and enjoy the show before us."

.

"So there it is." Dakim stood firm despite the darkness release from Kasumi and Dragonite. "You bring forth your power. Now…allow me to crush it under my bare foot! Swampert, Ice Punch!" Swampert roared before ice formed around its fist and it jumped forward once again.

"Fire Punch!" Kasumi's voice had a dark echo to it. Throwing her arm forward, Dragonite roared before flames flickered around its hand. However, the flames around its hand were black and purple. Dragonite took off at blinding speed, appearing before Swampert could even meet it halfway, slugging the bulky water type with impossible might to send it skidding backwards.

"Huh…!?" Dakim's eyes widened.

"Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite's mouth opened before unleashing black beam of energy that took the form of a dragon, which slammed into Swampert and inflicted a grave amount of damage.

"T-This is a completely different level than before…!" Ash gasped.

"Hammer Arm!" Dakim commanded. Swampert shook off what damage it could before leaping forward, smashing its meaty arm into Dragonite's side. Dragonite slide backwards while growling in pain. Kasumi on the other hand…her eyes widened and she let out a nearby bloodcurdling scream while bringing a hand to her side.

"Kasumi…!" Grace's voice carried worry.

"W-What happened?!" Bonnie asked in a panic.

"I was wondering why Ash-Greninja looked so familiar…" Marcus muttered. "It makes sense…in this state, Kasumi and Dragonite have become one…but darkness serves at the middle man and corrupts the both of them. Any pain Dragonite feels, Kasumi gets it in double. The cost of having darkness corrupting her to the core like that…that's why we try to stop her before anything bad happens…"

"…!" It all clicked for Elizabeth. "I get it…that strange explosion back at the Pokémon Center after fighting Chiper for the first time…her condition after it…her body can't handle all that…! And if she continues to stress herself like that…!"

"…She'll die." Wes' interruption caught everyone off guard purely for the fact he uttered the words nobody else dared to.

"SHADOW DRAGON RUSH!" Dragonite's body wrapped itself in pure darkness. After spacing itself backwards, Dragonite rushed forward with all of its might. Even the audience found itself stunned by pure fear by watching the pokemon move.

"Catch it and throw it!" Dakim ordered. Swampert held its arms out to stop Dragonite…but it was all in vain. Dragonite just blew Swampert backwards, into Dakim, and crushed them into the wall. Swampert was in KO and reverted back to normal after such a defeat.

"S-Swampert is unable to battle! T-Therefore the winner is Kasumi…!" Now, now was a perfectly reasonable time for the referee to be a little bit shaken. "A-As the result, her new point total is now 12!"

"A-At least she won…" Kayla stammered.

Kasumi blinked once, wondering why everyone thought she was done. Pointing her hand forward, she commanded Dragonite to attack once more. "Finish them. Dragon Pulse." Dragonite opened its mouth, gathering dark energy within its mouth for what looked like a kill when…the darkness dispersed around both Kasumi and Dragonite, both falling unconscious.

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.

Round one of the tournament over, the scene shifted to the Pokémon Center at night now. Kasumi was resting, her vitals a little more hyperactive than usual. Blissey was keeping a firm watch over Kasumi and would alert the others if she awoke. Grace sighed heavily before exiting the room and went back into the main hall where the others were waiting. "She's okay for now…"

"I saw what happened on TV…" Nurse Joy commented with a frown. "I don't know what that was all about…but it would really be wise if it didn't happen again. It tore her body apart…"

"Thank you, Nurse Joy…" Marcus nodded.

"So…" Elizabeth tapped her foot, demanding an explanation along with everyone else. "Explain to us what that was all about. You two clearly know a lot more than you're letting on, and now isn't the time to be hiding things from us."

"If it puts Kasumi at risk, we have to know." Ash's statement rang true. Funny, they've only known each other for just over a week total, but his concern was completely genuine.

"Yes, I'm interested in this story as well…" Lovrina really was still hanging around them. At this point her orders were quite clear, however nobody seemed to be aware of her true motives.

"All right…" Grace sighed heavily. "It started a little while ago, a few months I think? Marcus, Kasumi, and I were travelling before we were ambushed by Chiper. Before we really knew what was happening, Kasumi got kidnapped and we ended up having to chase her down to some abandoned lab. We got there…and when we did…they did something to her. They were doing something to her! It was horrible! She was screaming and we couldn't get to her in time and…and…"

"And before we could truly intervene, the tube containing Kasumi and Dragonite exploded…the result was similar to what happened earlier in the day. I'm not exactly sure what triggers it either, but to be safe we just don't want her using Dragonite. As a… 'Shadow Trainer' she brings forth some scary power. A power that will kill her if it keeps happening…I know she's working on it, but if Chiper's back in the picture…I have a bad feeling about it."

"I see…" Clemont adjusted his glasses. "If you don't mind…I believe I can help monitor this situation. I made something for Ash and Greninja to test the requirements of their synchronization, and I believe with a few modifications I can do the same for Kasumi and Dragonite. Perhaps then we can get into the root of the problem and fix it from there?"

"Yeah!" Bonnie nodded. "My big brother is amazing at these kinds of things! You should totally let him do it!"

"Sounds nifty." Lore remarked.

"That would be amazing, Clemont…" Grace nodded slowly. "Any help would be greatly appreciated.

"Chiper has really crossed the line…" Rui grumbled. "Stealing and corrupting pokemon wasn't enough…now they're doing it to people, too? I will never forgive them for this! If she didn't pass out she was really going to kill him…all because of them…"

While discussions were being made and bed time approached, Lovrina snuck off in the middle of the night to file a report to Nascour himself. "The subject is stable for now. Though it appears she's reaching closer and closer to her breaking point…another release of shadow energy may just be enough to tip it over. That is my report…"

"Lovrina…?" Serena happened to overhear, though she didn't actually catch what Lovrina was saying. "It's late…what are you still doing up…?"

Lovrina tensed at Serena's sudden appearance. To play it off, she cleared her thorat. "Oh…just getting some water! Don't worry about me, just get some rest. We need our beauty sleep, you know?"

"I suppose you're right…" Serena offered a soft smile. "Although, I can't help but notice you seem a little tense. You're only a few years older than me, right? What are you so worried about as a young woman?"

Lovrina blinked slowly before shaking her head. "Don't put concern on me…just go to sleep, Serena…."

.

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Back at Chiper's HQ, Ein was going over the data collected from Kasumi's outburst earlier. There was a considerably large spike from the last time it occurred, causing him to nod slowly. "It's still not enough." Ein concluded before shutting that screen off and shifting to another. "Dakim, that was quite a show earlier. I do hope that loss hasn't shaken your moral."

"BAH!" Punching the wall, Dakim crushed it before turning his back. "You made me lose! I would've crushed her had you not told me to provoke her, Ein!"

"Is the big baby upset he lost? Come now, Dakim. You're much more mature than that." Venus shook her head. "These people have yet to truly see my elegance on stage. That is a true crime. How can I be their Venus when the attention is on someone else?"

"The both of you will calm down." Nascour, the big boss himself appeared. Venus and Dakim straightened up. "Ein, your tracking has worked wonders. We have found Mewtwo once again.I demand you go capture it immediately, and do not fail this time."

"Worry not, Nascour." Ein pulled out a Pokémon…calling forth one of the three legendary beasts; Raikou. Venus and Dakim followed suit, calling forth Suicune and Entei respectively. "With the power of the Three Beasts, not even Mewtwo will stand a chance against us this time. Furthermore…we always have our trump card lying in wait should we need them. Speaking of...let us send that little group a message so they learn not to mess with Chiper. Venus, Dakim…round up a squadron. It's time for the Shadow Project to begin."

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Next Time: Team Rocket vs. Chiper!


	17. Chapter 17: Team Rocket vs Chiper

Flashing back to the end of the first round of the tournament with Shadow Kasumi making her debut, Team Rocket practically shook in their boots. What they were witnessing was anything short of normal and just straight up chaotic. Especially the part when Kasumi was about to continue even though the battle was clearly decided! "T-That girl's nuts…!" Meowth gasped.

"Just what the heck did they do to that girl!?" James stammered. "I-Is this what Chiper does…?"

Jessie bit her lip, narrowing her eyes while staring at the Chiper admins. With Kasumi passing out, the tournament was finished for the day, thankfully. "…"

"W-Well…" The host looked around, tugging at his fancy collar nervously as he was unable to explain the latter half of the battle between Kasumi and Dakim. "I'm not entirely sure what just happened…but I can say that the first round of the tournament has been concluded! So, as we make some more adjustments to the arena, I ask that everyone patiently wait until the day after tomorrow for round 2 to begin!" After a few seconds a cheer filled the stadium and the crowd started to disperse.

"We have to follow them." Jessie ultimately decided.

"Huh?!" James and Meowth looked at Jessie as though she lost her mind. "Don't you think that's a little dangerous right now? What if they send that new twerp girl after us!?" James had a right to be somewhat frightened as with most everyone in the audience at the time.

"This is our one chance to follow them!" Jessie argued. "Giovanni wanted us to keep a close eye on them, and if they're preforming experiments like that on humans then I think we should get more information close hand and inform him!"

James couldn't argue. In the end, even he knew that what Chiper had done to Kasumi was wrong and frightening, and would be especially dangerous if they got their hands on other trainers like this. "Okay."

"Man…how did we get dragged into this mess…" Meowth sighed. "All right, let's follow 'em. But we have to make it snappy! They're leaving fast!"

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In the meantime, Giovanni received a transmission from the Rocket Trio. Quirking a brow, Giovanni answered. "Yes? Are there any updates?"

"Yes, sir." James nodded before pulling up the clip of Kasumi vs Dakim. It was starting to broadcast on the news as the highlight of round one. Chiper's movements, though mostly hidden, were starting to come to the surface. "This is a clip of a tournament match earlier today between a twe - , ah a competitor and the Chiper Admin, Dakim. As you can see…"

"That girl is brimming with Shadow energy." Giovanni's hand stoked the fur of the Persian on his lap, though his expression scrunched up slightly. "So they've moved on from pokemon and have the gall to start on humans? This is inexcusable."

"Our thoughts exactly," Jessie responded. "That is why we are using this opportunity to follow and infiltrate their base to see what they have planned. We will report to you as soon as we are finished." With that, the transmission cut off. Giovanni frowned, finding Chiper's presence more threatening than he originally believed. "Chiper…Shadow Pokémon, now Shadow Trainers too? Just what is it you're planning…?"

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Jessie, James, and Meowth successfully snuck their way into Chiper's HQ by tailing the Admins in their hot air balloon. Landing the balloon somewhere far away, the trio proceeded to sneak into the air vents of the facility, making sure to remain silent as to not draw too much attention to themselves. "These vents are spacious…" Meowth remarked.

"I'm not complaining." Jessie said before coming to a halt after hearing some speaking. Staring down the opening, she, James, and Meowth listened in on the conversation Ein had with Venus, Dakim, and Nascour.

"The three legendary beast…" Nascour nodded slowly. "They should prove more than a match for Mewtwo. However I assume you don't intend to just use them?"

"Of course not." Ein shook his head. "I know the operation has been left to me…and after extracting some of Mewtwo's DNA from its Megastone here, I've crafted some weapons specifically made to counteract Mewtwo's kinetic energy."

"And by using those weapons, we'll have the glorious Mewtwo on its knees. It'll be great~" Venus hummed while returning Suicune. "Can we get going already? It's already starting to get late and I'm falling behind on my beauty sleep."

"But of course. I'll gather a squad of Peons and we'll be on our way. I will also contact Lovrina and tell her to meet us at Mewtwo's location." Ein nodded before walking off as the room became vacant.

Back in the vent, the trio stared at each other wide eyes. "These guys are crazy…!" Meowth nearly shouted but he covered his mouth just in time.

"What are we going to do?" James asked the other two; however, before anything else could be said the vent could not support their combined weight and…collapsed. Luckily no one was inside so no one caught them. "Oof…"

"That could've gone better…" Jessie grumbled while rubbing her lower back. "These guys are planning something big…" The female then moved to Ein's computer, however she was unable to pull up anything they haven't already heard. "Ah…he locked it." And in frustration she kicked the computer.

"Hey guys!" Meowth walked to the corner pointing to some spare Chiper Peon outfits. "I think I found a way to get even closer to their plans…"

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The Kalos Badlands. Mewtwo was isolating itself as usual…but just as a few nights ago, it could detect multiple presences rapidly closing in on it. Another confrontation was unavoidable, but he was going to ensure these humans learned not to mess with him ever again. However…the unexpected happened. Entei appeared within the blink of an eye, Using Extreme speed to slam into Mewtwo and send it skidding backwards. "…!"

Though Mewtwo caught itself, it was not out of the water just yet. Suicune appeared behind Mewtwo and planted its paws firmly on the ground, releasing an ice cold Aurora Beam at the psychic type! Mewtwo held its hand out and created a psychic barrier to deflect the Aurora Beam. "What are you doing?" Mewtwo questioned only to receive no answer.

Raikou was up next, letting out a mighty roar as before unleashing a powerful bolt of lightning at Mewtwo who swiftly evaded it. The Thunder struck the ground and it exploded violently, still charged with electricity. "You are very swift…" Ein remarked as he, Dakim, and Venus appeared beside their respective beast. Shortly after, several Chiper Peons appeared with specialized weapons all pointed at Mewtwo. Mewtwo was enclosed in a small circle.

"But you won't be escaping us again!" Dakim slammed his fist into his palm and grinned. "We have the power to crush you this time."

"You feeble minded humans…only looking in short terms…" Mewtwo shook its head while raising a hand, creating a Shadow Ball above its fingers.

"Now." Ein commanded. On that cue, the several Chiper Peons wielding weapons fired red beams at Mewtwo. The second they struck, Mewtwo found itself weakened, dropping to a knee in agony.

"W-What…is this…?" Mewtwo clenched one eye shut while staring up at Chiper.

"Your last encounter with us provided some very interesting information…DNA splicing is a very tricky endeavor. But doing so allowed me to create something that you don't like, and I see its working." Ein's grin widened. "Head Scientist is truly the perfect position for me." Ein would not be able to bask in his glory for much longer, for a Shadow Ball and Psybeam shot a few of the weapons and destroyed them. "What!? Who did that!?"

"If you ask 'who did that?!'"

"The answer is our compassion for the world!"

"To protect the world from devesation!"

"To uphold peace in this world!"

"To carry out the evils of truth and love!"

"The lovely, charming villains!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket soars through the galaxy!"

"A white hole, a new tomorrow awaits us!"

"Something like that!" Mewoth added on the very end. After throwing away their disguises, Team Rocket was officially on the scene!

"Who are these people?" Venus brought a hand to her cheek before staring at Jessie. "And why is she so ugly…?"

"What did you say!?" Venus was already pressing the wrong buttons. Jessie growled before pointing her hand forward. "We know you've been up to something, Chiper. So now we're here to put a stop to it. Gourgeist, use Seed Bomb!"

"Inkay, Psybeam!" James commanded. Inkay released a beam of rainbow kinetic energy while Gourgeist released several seeds that exploded on contact.

"We don't have time for this. Decatty, use Swift!" Venus tossed out another pokemon since it was imperative she kept Suicune's attention on Mewtwo. Decatty emerged from the pokeball and swung its tail forward to unleash multiple stars at the incoming attacks, resulting in a large explosion.

"I guess it's my turn to shine!" Meowth bared his claws and lunged towards Delcatty. "Fury Swipes…!"

Venus merely "…Use Attract." Delcatty winked and several pink hearts shot forth and hit Mewoth, inflicting the talking cat pokemon with infatuation! "Now Double Slap." Delcatty landed in front of the love-struck Meowth and brought up HER paw before slapping Meowth silly!

"I guess I'm up again…" Cravix spoke. "Hydreigon, Dragon Breath!" Throwing a pokeball forward, the Chiper Peon released his Shadow Hydreigon. The three headed dragon almost immediately unleashed an emerald beam from all three mouths directly towards Team Rocket.

"Gourgeist, Shadow Ball!"

"Inkay, Psybeam!" Both of Jessie and Jame's pokemon fired off the two attacks to clash with Dragon Breath, resulting in another explosion. "Inkay, spray your ink!" Inkay opened its mouth, unleashing some ink that got on Hydreigon and Delcatty's face, blinding them for a short while.

"Dark Pulse!" Jessie shouted. Gourgeist unleashed a beam of darkness that struck the blinded Hydreigon and Delcatty! Both were blown back and only annoyed the trainers.

"I can't focus on two battles at the same time…" Venus grumbled. The Chiper Peons were tasked with ensuring Mewtwo remained weakened which is why the heavy lifting was left for Cravix. But Team Rocket was an unexpected wrench thrown in their plans!

"Why don't you leave them to me then?" Lovrina clicked her tongue while striding onto the scene. "My darling pokemon have been waiting for some action…"

"About time you showed up!" Dakim shouted unnecessarily. "Keep those idiots busy while we capture Mewtwo! Entei, use Fire Spin!" Entei spit flames in the form of a raging twister that imprisoned the weakened Mewtwo right in the center.

"Who's the real idiot here?" Lovrina shrugged before tossing two Pokeballs out. "Ninetails, Roserade, come out!" Out of the two pokemon she called…one of them was not normal. Ninetails had sleek blue fur and red eyes. It didn't even resemble a normal Ninetails in the slightest!

"Hey hey! What's up with that Ninetails!?" Jessie pointed.

"Oh, this beauty?" Lovrina bragged while placing her hands on her hips. "I went on vacation to an island region some time ago…and I found it, so I just HAD to have it! Now then…Ninetails, Blizzard! Roserade, Poison Sting!" The strange Ninetails let out a howl before opening its mouth, releasing a powerful blizzard while Roserade unleashed several small spears of poison at the Rocket Trio!

"Hydreigon, Dark Pulse!" Hydreigon took both mouths on its side and released a beam of darkness to go alongside Lovrina's dual attack.

And just like that, Wobbuffet called itself out from Jessie's pokeball and stood in front of the trio while its body emitted a rainbow light. Clashing itself against all attacks before using Mirror Coat to reflect it all back! The incoming beam Wobbufett released caused a massive explosion. "Wobbuffet!"

"These guys are especially annoying…" Cravix grunted.

Meanwhile…Mewtwo decided it had enough. Despite the beams weakening its power, it was not just going to lie down and accept this. Eyes flashed a bright cyan hue before a psychic pulse boomed out, dispersing the Fire Spin and knocked down the Chiper Peons. "…That is…enough…" Mewtwo began rapidly firing off Shadow Balls towards the three beasts, however they were swift enough to evade them.

"I think we made it mad…" Venus gulped. "What do we do now, genius?"

"Well…" Dakim spoke.

"NOT YOU." Pretty much everyone shouted. Geez, way to make a muscle head feel useful.

"Then I suppose I have no choice…I must call in our special backup." Ein adjusted his glasses slowly.

.

.

Who knows how late it was now? Grace was just trying to get some sleep after the horrific events earlier in the day. But she would never get what she wanted because her phone started buzzing. Groggily waking up, she reached over and grabbed her phone to answer it. "Hello…?" Hearing who was on the other line, she perked away with widened eyes, keeping her voice to a low whisper as to not awake the others. "What…!? Are you seriously calling me in? But I can't-….." Apparently, something on the other line was said that completely changed her attitude around. "Fine…I'll be there in a few minutes, Ein…"

.

.

Next Time: Into The Dark.


	18. Chapter 18: Into The Dark

"Raikou, Thunder!"

"Entei, Fire Blast!"

"Suicune, Hydro Pump!"

The three legendary beasts unleashed their respective elemental attacks towards Mewtwo. Mewtwo, however, wasn't going to make it so easy for the three Chiper Admins. "Hyah!" Swiping his arm forward, the legendary released a blade of kinetic energy that collided with the three attacks, resulting in a gigantic explosion that nearly shook the entirety of the Kalos Badlands.

"They're really adamant about capturing that thing…" Meowth mumbled while barely holding onto a rock to keep from flying away from the explosions being caused.

"Gourgeist, Leech Seed!" Jessie commanded. Gourgeist then released several seeds from its mouth that wrapped around Hydreigon and Ninetails. "There we go! Now you two sit nice won't you?"

Lovrina sucked her teeth in annoyance before commanding Roserade to attack. "Leaf Storm!" Roserade pointed its arms up, gathering a vortex of razor sharp leaves before hurling them forward.

"Wobbuffett, Mirror Coat!" Jessie practically shoved Wobbufett forward to tank the Leaf Storm before firing it right back in the form of a Mirror Coat.

"Hydreigon, Dragon Breath!" Despite being held down by Leech Seed, Hydreigon could still follow Cravix' orders without too much difficultly. An emerald beam was released from Hydreigon's main mouth, clashing with the energy from Mirror Coat that resulted in a large explosion that blew the Rocket Trio and Chiper duo backwards.

"Agh…!" James landed on his rear, groaning in pain while staring at Cravix and Hydreigon. "That Hydreigon is a problem…"

Fierce battles continued for several minutes before a Salamance touched down on the ground from the night sky above. Grace hopped off Salamance with a less than pleased expression, having no qualms in interrupting Ein's focus in the battle with Mewtwo. "WHAT do you want!?" Like she couldn't see for herself.

"Hey isn't that the strong twerp?!" Jessie's eyes widened. "What is she doing here?!"

"Wait a second…" Lovrina narrowed her green eyes at Grace. "She's with us!? I didn't even know…but then why is she with that group?"

"So you're finally here…" Ein scoffed. "It took you long enough."

"I was sleeping." Grace shot back with her hands on her hips. "It's very stressful when my best friend is constantly losing years off her life from your wretched experiments. But I'm not here to talk about that clearly." Looking at Mewtwo the situation was now finally starting to set it. "W-Wait a second…what's going on here?!"

"My goodness, you're so horribly slow." Venus groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose.

A Chiper Peon approached Grace, opening a box with her Mega Necklace and two Mega Stones, both of which belonging to her. "Which one will you require for this mission, madam?"

"Don't call me that ever again." Grace nearly spat in disgust before grabbing the Venusarite and calling out her trusted partner while sliding on her necklace. "Ugh…I really don't want to do this…Venusaur, please! Respond to my heart and Mega Evolve!" Two lights appeared from the stone and the necklace; a shell formed around Venusaur and when it shattered its new appearance was revealed. "Petal Blizzard! Salamance, Fire Blast!" Venusaur let out a battle cry before pink petals started to form in a vicious tornado around its body, which was then sent towards Mewtwo as it dealt with the three beasts. Salamance flew into the air, releasing a widespread breath of flame at Mewtwo's back.

"…!" Clearly, Mewtwo was not expecting Chiper to have this many tricks up their sleeves. Turning, he created a barrier that successfully blocked Venusaur and Salamance's attacks. However...Raikou's Thunder was a direct hit, causing Mewtwo to grunt in pain. "Tch…!"

Now electing to stay out of the fight, the Rocket Trio hid behind some rocks while watching intently. "I don't get it…! That twerp hates Chiper the most, right? So why's she suddenly sidin' with 'em?" Meowth could just not figure this out. It didn't add up.

"Maybe it was a lie?" James suggested. "There are not many people I could call at 3AM in the morning in a situation like this to come help…"

"I do know that we can't do anything against those numbers…" Jessie said regretfully. Cravix and his Shadow Hydreigon were too powerful while Lovrina also packed a serious punch with her pokemon. With Grace now on the field on top of the three legendary beasts…this was an unwinnable battle for them!

Despite the fight he was putting up…Mewtwo was slowly getting worn down. By this point Mega Evolution would have been its next move as the trump card. However it was lacking its Mega Stone, meaning this battle would continue to be uphill. Entei attempted to slam into it with an Extreme Speed, but with the use of Psychic Mewtwo caught the fire beast and hurled it into Raikou.

"Solar Beam!" Venusaur pointed its large bulb at Mewtwo, gathering solar energy before releasing it all in a widespread beam. Mewtwo crossed his arms, taking the full blast head on before levitating backwards to avoid taking any more damage from it. "Dragon Rush!" Immediately after the Solar Beam, Salamance dove into Mewtwo powerfully. The contact created an explosion that threw even Mewtwo backwards.

"Flamethrower!" Entei opened its mouth, continuously releasing a large stream of flame that hit Mewtwo's side, causing it to grunt in pain.

Mewtwo's struggle would not end here. Ein swiped his arm horizontally to command Raikou to attack. "Thunder!" Raikou's body released a high voltage bolt of lightning that struck Mewtwo long with the Flamethrower, beginning to sandwich the legendary pokemon between several attacks.

"Suicune, Aurora Beam!" Suicune opened its mouth, a beam of rainbow frost shooting forth to strike Mewtwo. Mewtwo used the remainder of his strength to create a psychic barrier; these attacks eventually converged into a grand explosion that created a large, lingering smoke cloud in the sky. Silence fell on the area before Mewtwo dropped from the cloud into a crater on a knee, panting heavily from the damage taken.

"Wretched…humans…" Mewtwo gasped.

"NOW!" Cravix shouted to the grunts. On his command they resumed the use of their specialized anti-Mewtwo weapons. Black beams shot at Mewtwo, draining away what little strength he had left after such a fierce battle. The groans of pain coming from the psychic type let everyone know that it was working.

"It's working…!" Lovrina kept her eyes glued to the weakening Mewtwo. "We've beaten Mewtwo!"

"…." Grace bit her lip, watching this entire scene unfold firsthand. She didn't want any part of this; she didn't even know what the purpose of this was. She was assigned a task and had to follow it. Why? She had her reasons…but nobody would believe her, especially after what she's already said.

"S-Should we do somethin'…?!" Meowth asked. "They're seriously about to bag dat Mewtwo…!"

"What can we do?!" James whispered and he was right. What could the three of them do aside from just watch this happen?

With a sadistic chuckle, Ein walked over to Mewtwo and knelt down. "My…you were quite the opponent, Mewtwo. But now we've caught you. You're going to serve as the corner stone for the beginning of the Shadow Project. You should be honored…you are the second step in this glorious phase."

"Huh…?" Grace tilted her head. She couldn't understand what Ein was saying. "What's going on…? Why was I involved in this…"

"Don't worry about it." Venus shook her head while tapping Grace on the nose very condescendingly. "A cutie peon like you should just do as their told. You're no grunt and you're no executive. I'm surprised you have a place in this organization to begin with…"

"Don't need her." Lovrina waved a hand. Grace was surely surprised to see her here.

"Wha…you're…?!" Grace started but the sound of a helicopter drowned out her voice.

"Take him away." Ein stepped away as a tube was dropped down on Mewtwo, who was on the verge of unconsciousness. The tube was secured onto the helicopter and once Mewtwo was inside, it was lifted into the sky before being carried off.

"Ein!" Grace stomped over to Ein with a growl. "What is the meaning of this!? Calling me out here at 3AM for this fight!?"

"Now now…" Ein shook his head. "You did your job admirably, as expected. I do not doubt you are one step closer to receiving that Time Flute you so desire."

"…Why can't I have it now already!? Grace was obviously frustrated. "I've done so many of your stupid jobs without even asking what they're for and why. Just give it to me already!"

"That's not for us to decide." Venus crossed her arms, humming contently which only annoyed Grace further. "You know our boss has to decide when you get what you so desire. Until then, just be a good little girl and do as you're told, okay? Also, you should work on those frown lines, they're really bad for your complexion."

Grace let out a defeated sigh, her gaze dropping to the ground. Returning Venusaur, she kept the box containing the other mega stone and slipped it into her pocket. "I hate you all with every fiber of my being…there's nothing I want more than to have nothing to do with you…but I suppose it's my fault for being here in the first place."

"That's right~" Venus hummed while tapping Grace on the nose once again. "Now then, if you'll excuse us, we have a mission to report." With that, the Chiper Admins started to make their way back to the base.

"…" Lovrina then wrapped her arm around Grace's shoulder, presenting a friendly smile. "Why don't we go back together to the others? Surely it'll be less suspicious that way, right?"

"…." Grace just sighed heavily. "Let me guess…you were sent to watch Kasumi, weren't you?"

"Correct!" Lovrina nodded before pushing Grace back towards her own Salamance to catch a ride. "Come on now, we have to wake up earlier!"

"….." Grace sighed and remained silent. Her dark secret that could never be revealed to her friends, especially not now. Why was she with Chiper to begin with even though she hated them? She had one goal in mind…and all she could do was hope that all this work would be worth it in the end…

.

.

Wes stood on the roof of the Pokémon Center, communication device held close to his ear. Several nods of understanding were given as a grin crept on his lips. "Ah…so the capture of Mewtwo was a success…? Wonderful. Now the Project can truly begin…This is Chiper Grand Master Wes, giving you my permission to start."

.

.

Next Time: Surprise Guest.


	19. Chapter 19: Surprise Guest

"A catastrophe?" Diantha stared up at Olympia. "Of what kind…?"

"A catastrophe that promises to bring only darkness…" Olympia explained using her powers of foresight. It was all somewhat unclear to even her, but the message was the clearest part. "Wrought about by an evil organization. A darkness that will spread over the entire world…snuffing out all light…at the center of it all…a girl and…Mewtwo…?"

"Mewtwo…?" Now Diantha was even more confused than before…however there was something that was tugging at the back of her mind now that she thought about it; perhaps it would be time to pay a certain someone a visit.

.

.

Our lovely little group sat in the Pokémon Center, enjoying some breakfast; well, most of them anyway. Ash and Marcus scooped down their food before heading outside to get some training in while Clemont was working on modifying that invention to monitor Kasumi's vitals. For some reason Lovrina was still included so she got her fair share of helpings as well. Although…Grace and Lovrina were both looking rather tired. "…." Grace blinked a few times, trying to keep herself awake.

"….?" Serena quirked a brow at Grace's tiredness. "Grace…are you okay? You look really tired…"

Grace managed a tired smile and nodded. "T-Totally fine…just a little tired…my phone went off last night and I couldn't get back to sleep after. So, that's fun…"

"I didn't hear anything…" Elizabeth tilted her head.

"That's because you were snoring really loud…" Kayla couldn't help but snicker with her reply. For some reason, that managed to embarrass Elizabeth to the point where she just focused on her food.

"Shouldn't we bring Kasumi some food? She's still in bed rest, right?" Bonnie asked. At the same time, Chespin was about to eat some of Pancham's food…which resulted in yet another argument between the two Pokémon.

"Such a gluttonous pokemon…" Lovrina mumbled with a spoon in her mouth.

"I was going to do it." Serena said while standing up, grabbing a plate with some food on it. "She's still on bed rest, after all. I don't want her to miss out!"

"Oof…" Lovrina practically cringed from all this goodwill going around.

"…Are you okay?" Rui glanced over with some concern. "Stomachache?"

"No, stop…" Lovrina waved her hand while letting out a disgruntled sigh. "Don't show concern for me, I beg you."

Lovrina was…something all right; at least to Elizabeth. "We have a lot of strange characters with us…"

.

Outside in the back where the battlefield was, Ash and Marcus were getting some training in. Lore and Wes were watching while Clemont worked on his invention. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Greninja darted across the battlefield, placing its hands at its thighs to draw two water shurikens, which it hurled forward at Gallade with incredible speed.

"Gallade, Psycho Cut!" Gallade drew its arm back, a bright rainbow hue forming along its bladed arm. In one swift movement, Gallade brought its arm forward to release a kinetic blade of energy that clashed with the Water Shuriken for a small explosion. "Close Combat!"

"Cut!" Greninja formed a blade within its grasp and lunged forward as Gallade did. The two met halfway, swinging at each other the second they met. Greninja's Cut was used to deflect several of Gallade's blows and vice versa. Neither got the upperhand and decided to leap away. It was then the others finally emerged from inside. "Oh, hey!"

"You two just can't sit still for even a second, can you?" Elizabeth tapped her foot impatiently.

"What?" Ash shrugged. "We got a full day until the tournament resumes, so we're just getting in a little extra training!"

"I don't see the problem here." Marcus also shrugged.

"Two peas in a pod, I tell ya…" Grace drowsily spoke, trying to rub the lack of sleep out of her eyes. "More importantly…how's that thing coming along, Clemont?"

"Almost done." Clemont responded with a firm nod.

"Great." Wes lazily clapped his hands together before standing up and walking off." Now if you'll excuse me, there's some business I have to take care of. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Wes wait…!" Rui obviously wanted to come along, but he didn't have to say anything for her to get the message. "Agh…why's he being so distant lately?"

"Not to intrude…" Serena gently poked Rui's arm to get her attention. "But were you and Wes…really at thing…?"

That questioned made the red head's cheeks flare a bright red hue. "O-Oh no! No no no no no….! We were…just partners, as I've said! That's all!"

"She totally likes him." Bonnie just flat out said it, giving several nods after with that sort of childish smug grin. "It's cute!"

"No stop!" Rui had to turn away to hide her beat red face. But funnily enough, it did get a laugh out of everyone. Well, most everyone. Lovrina just shook her head, questioning why she had to hang around these people in the first place.

.

.

Midafternoon, Wes arrived at the Chiper HQ. Upon arriving, he made his was straight to the development wing. The sight he saw when arriving put a smile on his face; Mewtwo trapped within a containment tube. "So…the mission was a success after all. Grace sure is a useful pawn."

"Indeed." Ein nodded slowly while preforming some tests. "Having a trainer like that at our beck and call is very convenient. A convenience at the price of an inconvenience…anyways, we are set to begin the Shadow Project at any time. And perhaps you will be wanting Tyranitar back?"

"No." Wes replied while crossing his arms. "Not yet. Rui has returned and in Kalos along with the group I'm currently with."

"Ah yes, that girl…" Ein nodded slowly.

"Your former partner? How adorable, it seems you two really can't stay apart from each other?" Venus teased. Wes just let out a sigh in response, which wasn't the reaction she was hoping for. "You've never been fun."

"You've never been tolerable." Ouch, shots fired. Venus grumbled something under her breath but Wes focused more on the trapped Mewtwo. "Anyway. Begin pumping Mewtwo with shadow energy. It won't be long before even this mighty pokemon is under our control."

"What is your goal?" Mewtwo questioned Wes. "Filling this world with darkness is a fools errand. You know not what you are trying to unleash."

"I know exactly what I'm doing." Wes sneered. "Chiper failed twice before due to some fairly obvious flaws. I intend to rectify those mistakes and show the world that there is something truly worthy of being afraid of."

"Why?" Mewtwo was just filled with questions, much to Wes' chagrin.

"My reasoning doesn't matter to you. You're just to sit tight and do as you're told. All will be explained in due time." That was all the explaining Wes was going to do for now. "Now then…while we start this…I believe it's time to send those nosy brats a message. Has a mini squad been sent out yet?"

"Already ahead of you." Venus waved a finger about. "Mhmhm…there's a nice little surprise waiting for your little motley crew."

.

.

"We should be preparing for tomorrow's tournament round. I heard that it's going to be doubles." Lore said while crossing his arms. "Whether that means pairs or not is another thing, though."

"Doubles, huh?" Ash started to think. "Maybe we should start working in pairs just in case? I think it would be cool to battle with you guys!"

"What about Kasumi?" Serena glanced back. "Do you think she'll be able to keep going after what happened?"

"I don't know…" Grace sighed.

Soon the doors to the Center opened up. This wouldn't have been anything too unusual had the presence of said person not emanated throughout the entire building. Turning, several people were in awe at the person who stood in the doorway. A hand rested on her hip before the woman took a few steps forward, stopping before Ash and company. "Well…it's been quite some time, hasn't it?" Cynthia, champion of the Sinnoh region, smiled.

"HUH!?"

"Oh, hi Cynthia!" Ash responded like it was nothing, which was probably just as surprising as Cynthia's surprise appearance.

"…" And Elizabeth was just staring at Cynthia in awe.

"Y…You're doing it again…" Grace said with a small sweat drop.

.

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Next Time: Wanted.


	20. Chapter 20: Wanted

"What's the champion of Sinnoh doing here…?!" Marcus questioned with widened eyes. "A-And also…!" He then pointed at Ash accusingly. "What's with that casual greeting!? You can't just greet a champion like that!"

"Why not…?" Ash tilted his head confusedly. Pikachu also seemed to scratch the top of its head while staring at the others bewildered expressions. "She's a friend of mine."

"YOU'RE FRIENDS!?" Elizabeth was all up in Ash's face now with a hue that just screamed jealously. This was perhaps one of the few times her composure was just completely shattered. Luckily she seemed to realize this and pulled away before she could make an even bigger fool of herself. "I-I mean…that's nice."

"Down girl…" Grace tugged at Elizabeth's arm to pull her back into her seat.

"Marvelous!" Professor Sycamore clapped his hands together. "I'm glad everyone's here now. I was the one who brought Cynthia over. She wanted to meet with your all specifically right away."

"And who's this handsome devil..?" For a moment, Rui, Kayla, and Lovrina's eyes replaced with comical hearts.

"Professor Sycamore. Charmed to make your acquaintance." Sycamore bowed slightly, which just made the ladies swoon a bit. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on but he just rolled with it!

"You said she wanted to meet with us…?" Serena tilted her head while glancing at Cynthia. What would the Sinnoh Champion want with such a strange group?

"That's right." Cynthia nodded while glancing around. "Well...I see that two people are missing. But is that one called…Kasumi around? She is one I wish to discuss with as well."

"Actually, she's…" Grace started.

"Did someone call for me?" Like an actress called on stage, Kasumi appeared! …With her arm and forehead wrapped in bandages, but she appeared nonetheless as elegantly as one could. She did experience a brief lack of balance before she caught herself. "I-I'm okay…!"

"She's far from fine…" Grace muttered.

Dusting off her dress, Kasumi stared at Cynthia and Professor Sycamore. "…When did these two celebrities get here!? Oh, are they here to see me perform?"

"She's acting a little different…" Elizabeth mentioned.

"She probably remembers what happened and is trying to lift up her own mood…just let it happen, please." Marcus asked with a pleading smile.

Cynthia chuckled slightly at Kasumi's introduction. "It's nice to meet you, Kasumi. I wanted to talk to you about your performance the other day during the tournament." Nobody was expecting Cynthia to bring up that. The atmosphere of the room began to grow heavy as Kasumi stopped fooling around to look at the ground.

Lore crossed his arms, swaying his upperbody from side to side gently. "Y'know, I almost forgot that the tournament was televised. So I can't be surprised that people outside would've seen that…but it is surprising to see the Sinnoh Champion taking interest in this."

"I-It wasn't my fault…I-I didn't…" Kasumi started to stutter. That incident was the worst it had ever been and she wasn't trying to think about it so soon.

Cynthia's expression didn't change despite Kasumi's reluctance to talk. "I've been hearing rumors of a strange organization in the works. That man, Dakim…he appeared after Elizabeth left after winning Sinnoh's tournament…after gathering up a completely new roster for Sinnoh's entry, I noticed something odd."

"So that's why the Sinnoh Team looked so different from what I remember fighting…" Elizabeth stared up at the ceiling in thought.

"Chiper is the organization he formerly worked for. After doing some digging…I learned that Chiper is still very much active under the guise of new leadership. Who that leader is though, I have no idea."

They knew why Cynthia was here in Kalos now…but that didn't answer why she wanted to see Kasumi of all people. Clemont adjusted his glasses before looking at Cynthia. "So…which of that has to do with your reasoning for being here?"

Cynthia narrowed her eyes at Kasumi before uttering a few words; "Do you work for Chiper?"

Just hearing those words made Kasumi's turn pale. She was completely frozen in shock and Blissey called itself out to try and calm her down like the personal nurse it was. Grace stood up immediately and shook her head. "NO! No she doesn't! I…." She almost slipped up with all eyes on her. "I can assure you she doesn't…"

"Me too!" Marcus stood up and nodded. "She's innocent, we promise."

"She's a victim!" Rui also added on before explaining the situation. Cynthia and Sycamore nodded in understanding.

"I see…" Sycamore placed a hand to his chin. "Such terrible experiments done to both people and pokemon…we must find a way to stop them as soon as possible."

Cynthia placed a hand on Kasumi's shoulder, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't realize it would have such a traumatic effect on you…after seeing what happened, I couldn't help but become suspicious as most people have." The champion's gaze then went to Blissey, who let out a slightly relieved sigh. "After seeing this one here come to your aid immediately, I can see that a trainer such as yourself would never bear anything ill will intentionally. However…did you know that this one here is a former agent of Chiper?" Cynthia pointed at Lovrina, who was just minding her own business in the conversation until that moment.

"WH…?!" Lovrina's green eyes widened. Her initial reaction was going to be; "You can't just call someone out like that!", however she realized that that would most certainly blow her cover. So instead she quickly cleared her throat before speaking. "W-Wait a second, before you all give me those dirty looks! I should have you know that the 'former' part is still in effect. I'm not trying to get involved with those evil organizations again; I'm just trying to be a regular teenage girl. Yeesh…"

"Is that a fact?" Cynthia's gaze scrutinized on Lovrina. There was a lot of pressure in that aze of hers but Lovrina didn't crack.

"Yup. If you asked me what was happening at this very moment with Chiper, I'd have no idea. Although they could still be using my research for their development…" Acting as if she was unaware that was the case, Lovrina proceeded to 'lose' herself in thought to tune out of the conversation.

"I need to learn that trick." Elizabeth stated.

"That reminds me…" Clemont approached Kasumi, handing over two wristbands. "Put these on yourself and Dragonite. It will allow me to monitor your vitals when you battle so we can pinpoint the direct cause of what brings up that shadow energy."

Kasumi took the invention and nodded, calling forth Dragonite to attach the wristband before applying it to herself. "….Do you think this will…you know…fix me…?"

"Hopefully." Clemont said with a smile. "If we can pinpoint the root of your problem, perhaps we can erase it!"

"It's not so simple." Rui hated to be 'that girl' but she had to clarify something. "Shadow Pokémon can only be purified one of two ways. First…their heart must be fully unlocked, whether it by battling, walking around, or stuffing incenses in its face…"

"I object." Kasumi was not about to have various scents forced into her nose.

"….Let me finish…" Rui continued. "Once that's done, you would have to head to Agate Village in Orre to the Relic Stone…where the stone would purify those ready! But that's such a far trip…plus I honestly don't know how to purify a em…Shadow Trainer." Rui approached Kasumi and placed a hand on her shoulder to test something. The darkness lingering about in the female made Rui cringed and took a step back. "Oh…I'm sorry, I don't think that method will work for you."

Kasumi frowned, staring down at the ground. "It's that bad…"

"The other method of purification is to get your hands on a Time Flute." Rui nodded. At the same time, Grace's hands started to ball into fists, tugging at the hem of her shirt a little. "A Time Flute is a very rare item…if you play it, Celebi itself will come down and purify you no matter how locked your heart is!" Rui's words were just causing Grace a silent fit; however no one seemed to notice.

"Does such an item truly exist?" Cynthia was very intrigued by this. "Actually, no, now that I think about it…I've heard something of such a relic in Sinnoh's mythology…the question is, does that item truly exist anymore? I imagine it wouldn't continue working after one usage."

To that question, Rui's lips curved down. "I…I don't know. Wes and I used a couple for shadow Entei, Raikou, and Suicune because they were especially difficult to deal with. If more exist, I can't answer…"

"….. _That's why…I need it …_ " Grace grumbled under her breath. This entire topic was making Grace tremble slightly. Elizabeth and Marcus noticed but they weren't sure what the issue was. Lovrina on the other hand, wasn't saying anything about it.

"As it stands now…" Cynthia sat down next to Elizabeth and she probably just died on the spot. "Kasumi is in a very dangerous situation…between Chiper and…well, the police. Officer Jenny is worried that if she loses control again and isn't stopped…"

"That won't happen!" Grace adamantly stated. "I won't allow it. Kasumi will be fine…so just trust us, okay?

"Yeah!" Ash pumped a fist. "We'll take care of things on our end. Though having you around would be a great help, Cynthia.

With the enthusiasm going around, Cynthia couldn't turn them all down. "Very well. I'll offer my assistance the best I can."

.

Just outside of Couriway Town…A small gang of Chiper Peons were gathered at the town's gate, led by one of Chiper's Admins: Snattle. "Now then. Let us begin this operation and send those who dare to interfere with Chiper's plan a lesson!" Snattle clenched his hand into a fist. "Then with the almighty power Chiper holds…I will become the supreme governor of the Kalos Region…and perhaps the world…yes…yes…"

.

.

Next Time: Confrontation in Couriway


	21. Chapter 21: Confrontation in Couriway

"Well now that we've gotten everything good and settled…" Marcus stood up, his gaze locking with Cynthia's. "Champion of Sinnoh, I challenge you to a battle." That declaration caused the eyes of everyone around to widen considerably. Cynthia, however, kept her usual composed expression.

"Hey no fair!" Ash was only surprised because Marcus probably beat him to it.

"Are you CRAZY?!" Elizabeth flailed about. "You can't just casually challenge the CHAMPION of the Sinnoh region! Do you know who she is!?" And her composure was lost once again.

"No no, it's quite alright. Not even a full hour in Kalos and I've already been challenged." Cynthia mused while standing up. "Very well, I will accept your challenge. I sense a fire within you anyway."

"He's just going to get slaughtered, isn't he…?" Rui questioned as everyone made their way outside.

"What's the big idea…" Kasumi crossed her arms, trying to rack her brain for an answer for Marcus's sudden challenge against Cynthia. "He's been acting strange lately…"

"Stranger than Grace?" Serena pointed that fact out so quickly Grace had no time to react.

Once Marcus and Cynthia arrived at the field outside, they took their respective sides. Sycamore did the honors, standing in the middle and raised his hand, acting as the referee for this impromptu battle. "This will be a one on one battle! The battle is over when one side's pokemon is unable to battle…without further ado…begin!"

"Gallade, let's go!" Marcus tossed a pokeball into the air, the capsule opened and the bright light crashing into the ground morphed into Gallade, who was ready to battle. There was a cape attached to Gallade with the broken Mega Stone hanging on the edge of the fabric.

"Hm…" Cynthia only had one go to in this situation. The Sinnoh champion tossed a pokeball in the air, calling forth her trusty pokemon, Garchomp. "Let us have a good battle, yes? I will let you have the first attack since you are the challenger."

"Is it just me…or is the atmosphere around here really tense…" Bonnie shifted around really uncomfortably. The battle hadn't even started yet!

"The tension shifted the second she stood on the field…" Kayla said while rubbing her arm sheepishly. The blonde wasn't quite sure how to feel…and she wasn't even in the battle. She couldn't imagine how Marcus was feeling at this moment.

"Wait…" Grace narrowed her eyes at Gallade's cape. "What's he doing…? Can he even use that? What's this idiot trying to prove!?"

"That Mega Stone…" Sycamore focused his gaze on it.

For some reason, the more Marcus looked at Cynthia; he heard an orchestrated piano playing in the back of his mind. For that same unknown reason, the longer it played the more he knew how this battle was going to go. Steeling his nerves, he issued the first command of the battle: "Gallade, Psycho Cut!" Gallade nodded and lifted a bladed arm up before swiftly chopping it down. This sent a vertical blade of kinetic energy rushing towards Garchomp.

"Block it." Cynthia simply commanded. Garchomp lifted one arm, allowing its fin to block the incoming Psycho Cut. A small explosion occurred but when it cleared Garchomp was relatively unfazed. "Flamethrower." Garchomp opened its mouth, releasing a powerful stream of flame directly for Gallade.

"Dodge and use Close Combat!" Gallade swiftly evaded to the side before rushing towards Garchomp with surprising speed.

"Oh, it's quick. Brick Break!" Cynthia commanded. Just as Gallade closed in with a series of fierce punches and kicks, Garchomp's fin shone brightly before bringing it down. The dragon type was just as, and even faster than Gallade on the draw! Gallade found itself defending against Garchomp's Brick Break by raising its arms over its head, the ground cratering underneath its legs. Garchomp then swung its leg and Gallade's gut to knock it away with ferocious might, causing the fighting type to tumble along the ground before coming to a halt.

"Tch…!" Marcus grunted as Gallade stood up to recover.

"Dragon Rush!" Cynthia was not letting up even for a second. With a mighty roar, Garchomp allowed a powerful aura to surround its body as it rushed forward. There was no time for Gallade to react and SLAM! The dragon type crashed into Gallade violently, sending it hurtling into the ground.

"Ohhh! Is it over…!?" Serena spoke as if she closed her eyes to avoid watching the sight, but watching a champion, especially Cynthia, battle was a sight she probably wouldn't see again!

"Gallade, are you okay?" Gallade groaned, clenching one eye shut before standing back up, battered and bruised by just two attacks. This battle was likely already decided before it began, yet trainer nor pokemon refused to give in.

"It can still fight? Now that's impressive in itself." Cynthia's words were nothing but genuine. "Stone Edge." Garchomp roared and punched the ground, azure stones erupting from the field in a straight line towards Gallade.

"…Now's our chance. Gallade, advance forward with Psycho Cut!" Both of Gallade's arms shone brightly before it dashed forward, slicing through the rising stones as though they were butter! Once nearing Gharchomp, Gallade's skull cloaked itself in psychic energy and it lunged forward for the dragon's abdomen.

"Garchomp, defend it!" Cynthia commanded. Garchomp crossed its arms once again as Gallade rammed its skull into its arms. Even Garchomp had to hold its ground slightly, but that wasn't even Marcus' true goal; he just wanted to get close!

"Ice Punch!" Gallade's fist wrapped itself in ice, and in the next instant, a fierce uppercut was aimed at Garchomp's gut! To everyone's surprise, even Cynthia's, it was a direct it! Garchomp let out a slight roar as it slid backwards. "Close Combat!"

"Brick Break!" Just as Gallade rushed forward, Garchomp sought to counter it. Though unlike before, it wasn't just a one sided clash! With Gallade's speed, it was capable of fending off Garchomp, even if it wasn't able to land any more direct hits thus far.

"Whoa, when did Gallade get so fast?!" Ash questioned.

"Ah…I see!" Clemont snapped his fingers. "Dragon Rush comes with a secondary effect. Sometimes it can cause the opponent to flinch…and Gallade's ability, Steadfast, allows it to move faster after being hit with such an effect!"

"Did he plan that…?" Elizabeth mumbled. "There's no way…"

"Keep attacking!" Shifting attacks mid strike, Gallade aimed a bladed arm at Garchomp's side; however the dragon time just managed to counter by bringing its fin up to defend. These same motions continued for only a few seconds before the two entered a brief, but fierce deadlock.

The two leapt away from each other and Cynthia continued the offensive momentum she still had. "Flamethrower!" Once again, Garchomp unleashed a massive funnel of flame aimed directly for Gallade.

"Slash through it! Use Psycho Cut!" As the flames neared, Gallade raised both arms above its head. The rainbow hue intensified and for a brief moment, it looked like Gallade's arms turned into a gigantic shining blade. That alone was enough for everyone to stand up from their seats in amazement. Gallade brought its sword down, slicing clean through the flamethrower while a gigantic crescent cut through the earth while travelling towards Garchomp.

"Evade, and use Dragon Rush!" Despite the powerful attack, Garchomp was still fleet footed. The dragon deftly leaps to the side, allowing the attack to soar past it and slice the stone wall behind it clean in half. The same aura from before wrapped around its body and it charged Gallade headfirst, slamming into it to knock it backwards. Just like before, Gallade tumbled before coming to a stop, now resting on its hands and knees.

Even so…Gallade wanted to keep fighting. "That's it! Then we'll just push it even further!" Drawing forth the shattered keystone on his bracelet, Marcus actually attempted for it to work…and it just might have with the shining light around it and Gallade's…but then!

"That's enough." Sycamore called the battle off. "Marvelous show on the both of you!" The professor then approached Marcus. "Very impressive on your part. I can see that you were about to Mega Evolve, but judging by the condition of your stones…I advise against it. The energy would leak out and the results wouldn't be good for anyone here."

"Ah…" Marcus nodded slowly while returning Gallade. He was going to have to have Nurse Joy treat it later.

"That was a good fight. You have a lot of potential within you." Cynthia responded coolly while returning Garchomp. "It was a nice little workout for us as well, thank you." Walking across the field, she extended her hand to Marcus in a friendly manner, to which the two shared a firm handshake. Cynthia then gave Garchop a Sitrus Berry, which recovered all the damage Gallade dealt to it. Not that it really needed it anyway, but she wanted her partner to be healthy.

"That….was….so….COOL!" Elizabeth's eyes had sparkles in them. Watching Cynthia battle was just…a dream come true! At this point she didn't even care that her composure was all but lost, she could've died happily at any moment.

"I wonder if this is the real Elizabeth…" Kasumi questioned while gesturing at the excited blue hair lady. "And if her cool personality is a bit of an act…" Well, before that conversation could go any further, an explosion occurred somewhere in town and caught everyone's attention. "Huh?!"

"What was that?!" Lore looked around frantically.

"It came from the town…" Lovrina said while staring at the smoke cloud coming from behind the center. "That doesn't look good."

"Come on!" Ash shouted while bolting inside the center to see the rest of the town. Everyone followed and just before they could exit, they were met with Chiper Peon's storming the Center's interior. "Ah!?"

"Oh…" Lovrina swallowed the lump in her throat awkwardly.

"Hands up!" A Chiper Peon shouted before calling out his Houndoom, which snarled at all the bystanders. "We're only here for one thing. Just surrender peacefully and we won't bring any harm to you."

"That's right!" Another Peon said while calling forth his Tauros, which angrily stared at the people around.

"Everyone, go on ahead! I'll take care of this! Braxien, let's go!" Serena called forth Braxien to stand up against Chiper.

Rui stood next to Serena with a firm nod. "Plusle! We'll help out too!" From Rui's pokeball, Plusle came forth.

"Right! We'll leave it to you!" Elizabeth nodded before the others made their way out of the Pokémon Center.

The moment they all made their way out, Cynthia started going on ahead. "I'm going to find the one in charge of this little coup. Perhaps then that will stop them. It would be a great help if you all subdued those going around causing trouble."

"You got it!" Clemont nodded. "Bonnie, stay close to me."

"Okay…!" Bonnie nodded. In the midst of the slight excitement and panic, Squishy poked its head out from Bonnie's bag before stealthily hopping away. Nobody noticed it either.

.

.

Snattle paraded through the streets with his Chiper Peons keeping all the bystanders at bay. The man waltzed around as if he owned the place, grinning widely as he already made plans on how to rule Kalos once he was self-appointed governor. "Yes yes…I think this place will make a wonderful start for my campaign. Shadow Pokémon Central? Hm…no, that may be too much…Perhaps I should ask the locals what they believe will suit best…"

.

.

Next Time: Hit The Dance Floor!


	22. Chapter 22: Hit The Dance Floor!

"Braxien, Flamethrower!" Serena commanded. Braxien brought the stick buried in its tail forward, releasing a stream of flame towards the opposing Tauros. It was a direct hit, causing the raging bull to slide backwards within the Pokémon Center. While Serena wanted to avoid conflict in this building, it was practically unavoidable.

"Plusle, Thunder!" Rui was right behind Serena. Plusle gathered an abundance of lightning before releasing it all in one gigantic bolt towards Houndoom.

"Houndoom, Shadow Ball!" The Chiper Peon demanded. Houndoom opened its mouth, releasing a violet-black sphere that clashed with Thunder, causing a minor explosion within the building. "Crunch!" Houndoom rushed through the smoke, maw opened wide as its fangs sharpened, preparing to bite down on Plusle with considerable crushing force. Rui and Plusle were both stunned by Houndoom's speed and were put on the spot.

"Scratch!" Serena with the save! Braxien lunged forward, swiping its claw at Houndoom's face to knock it backwards.

"Rage!" Tauros bellowed before slamming into Braxien, sending it skidding backwards across the floor.

"Electro Ball!" Plusle gathered electricity on its small tail, quickly flinging it forward at point blank range. It was a direct hit and the impact forced Tauros to slide backwards before coming to a halt.

"These guys…" Serena grumbled. "Rui, are we fighting Shadow Pokémon!?"

Rui focused her gaze on Tarous and Houndoom, seeing the dark aura visible around their being. "Huh…! These are Shadow Pokémon…! Why didn't I see it until just now…?!"

"As the boss said…her eyesight is still impeccable. I don't think we can hide anything from her…" The Peon spoke to his cohort who gave a firm nod. "She's always been a thorn in our side…so let's just get rid of her now! Houndoom, Flamethrower!" Houndoom opened its mouth, releasing a stream of orange flame directly towards Rui herself!

"Slyveon, use Fairy Wind!" Serena quickly called out her Slyveon to assist in the battle. Once emerging from the pokemon, the fairy type released a pink wind that clashed with Flamethrower, saving Rui from harm as both attacks dispersed.

Rui let out a heavy sigh of relief, turning to Serena with a smile of gratitude. "Thank you, Serena…"

"We're not done yet." Serena accepted Rui's thanks before turning back to their Chiper opponents.

"You're right…geez. Where's Wes when you need him…?"

.

.

"Goodness gracious…." Lovrina wandered around the battle ridden town having separated herself from the others. "What on earth is going on here? What are those numbskulls back at the base planning….?!"

"Lovrina!" That was a voice of someone familiar to Lovrina: Naps, her brother. The masked Peon approached his older sister, very out of breath. "There you are…!"

"Naps…?" Quirking a brow, Lovrina crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. "Mind explaining what's going on here? I don't remember hearing anything about an attack on this town! Which idiot Admin is in charge!? You better not tell me it's Snattle!"

"…You'd hate to hear what I have to say then…" The Peon rubbed the back of his head very awkwardly. "It's orders from the boss himself, you know! So uh…don't do anything rash? He just wants to give this group of yours a little warning, that's all!"

"I wanted to be involved…but I'm in too deep now." Lovrina pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I can't blow my cover…but I have some frustrations I would love to get out." Emerald eyes held a sinister gleam as she stared at her younger brother.

Naps began to sweat. He knew what that look meant. "L-Lovrina…?"

"It'll look so suspicious if I don't fight anyone." Lovrina had a Pokeball pulled from her pants pocket, grinning towards Naps. "So, this is the perfect arrangement." She wasn't giving him a say in the matter. Throwing the pokeball forward, she called forth her Gardevoir. "So hurry up!"

The struggles of being a younger brother; Naps sighed before calling out his Rhyhorn. "Yeah yeah…I got it…"

.

.

"Stay close to me!" Grace told Kasumi while practically dragging her around the town. Somewhere along the way they'd gotten separated from Marcus when he offered to handle a Chiper Peon attempting to stand in their way.

"Where are we even going…? You've been acting really tense all day…!" Kasumi forced Grace to come to a halt, staring her down intently. "What's going on, Grace? I've never seen you so tense before. You know you can tell me anything and the same applies to Marcus if you can't tell me."

"I…" Grace glanced away for a second. "I can't talk about it right now. We have to help drive these guys out first, you know that!" Grace then continued to drag Kasumi along the way.

"Hey wait! Don't just change the subject on me like that!" Kasumi shouted, yet did nothing to stop Grace.

.

Meanwhile, Marcus, Kayla, and Lore were having some difficulty against an extremely powerful Shadow Krookodile. "Dewott, Razor Shell! Axew, Dragon Claw!" Drawing a Scallop from its thigh, Dewott formed an aquatic blade and lunged towards the foe Krookodile. Axew followed suit by leaping forward with energy taking the shape of a large claw on its tiny hand.

"Krookodile, Shadow Slash!" The Chiper Peon shouted. A shadowy claw formed along the ground type's arm and it lunged forward; in one easy slash, it managed to down both Axew and Dewott, sending them back a fair distance.

"Are you two okay?!" Marcus rushed over to the two pokemon, who nodded and wished to keep fighting.

"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" Kayla commanded.

"Mismagius, Shadow Ball!" Lore followed suit. Arcanine released a large symbol of flame towards Krookodile.

"Dark Pulse!" Krookodile opened its mouth, releasing a gigantic beam of raw power in the form of darkness towards the incoming attacks. There was a clash and a large explosion that nearly blew the trio backwards.

"Geez, what's with this thing? It's like a brick wall that fires back…" Kayla groaned. "We can't seem to get through it even with the three of us."

"So, this is the power of Shadow Pokémon…" Lore gave an understanding nod. "It would be very troublesome if these pokemon continued to exist…but there's naught we can do if we can't even defeat one…"

"There's got to be something we can do. Chiper won't be having its way with us!" Marcus exclaimed. Axew was the first one that stood up, growling before rushing forward on its own towards Krookodile with another Dragon Claw. "Axew wait!" Marcus cried out, however Axew was easily smacked away by Krookodile's tail and hit the ground with a cry of pain.

"Watching you all struggle makes this so much more fun…" The Chiper Peon chuckled, her sadistic voice digging deep into the nerves of others.

Axew was a persistent one though, for it was in its nature. Growling, the tiny dragon let out an earth shaking roar before its body began to illuminate a bright light. Slowly but surely, it's body was starting to change and…evolve!

"Wait a second…!" The Peon shouted. "Stop that! Stop that right now!"

"Is Axew evolving!?" Kayla's eyes gleamed in excitement.

After a few seconds, the light exploded from around Axew – no, Fraxure! The evolved dragon type let out another loud roar before glaring towards Krookodile. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Let's try this one again, yeah!?" Fraxure turned to Marcus before giving a firm nod.

.

Ash, Clemont, Elizabeth, and Bonnie carefully traversed the open part of town. To their surprise, there were no Chiper members…or to be more accurate, there were no active Chiper members around. All of them were knocked unconscious along with their pokemon. Given the situation, it was a little unnerving. "What happened…?" Ash questioned while looking at everyone. "They're all knocked out…"

"I'm scared…" Bonnie clung to Clemont.

"Who could've done this…? Maybe Cynthia ran through the area? But they'd probably just be in fear than unconscious…" Elizabeth deduced.

"This is strange indeed…" Clemont glanced around. It was then he heard some faint music bumping from not too far away and it was steadily getting closer and closer. "Huh..? What's that…?"

Methodical steps were taken from platform shoes. A large red and white afro bounced around in tune with the steps. Those glasses hid his eyes, but you already knew who was coming, didn't you? "Chiper keeps stepping on my toes. This will just not do, oh no no no no!" Miror B spoke while moonwalking onto the scene. Behind him were his underlings: Trudley and Folly.

"Who's this fruitcake…?" Elizabeth quirked a brow at Miror B.

"You don't know who I am?" Miror B seemed slightly offended by this. "I am the grooviest dancer anyone has seen! Former Admin of Chiper!"

"Boss…" Trudley spoke out of line. "Are you sure you want these people to know that…?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter!" Miror B did a slow jive. "I'm not affiliated with those punks anymore. But I won't have any problem swiping any of their finely tuned pokemon! That includes yours, little runts!"

"A former Chiper Admin…" Clemont wasted no time in calling out his Luxray. "I don't know what you're planning, but we've got questions for you!"

"Indeed." Elizabeth called forth her Zoroark. "I'd prefer it you didn't go anywhere to make this easier for us."

"Ohhhh…is that how it is?" Miror B merely wore a large grin. "I've had enough of upstart kids thinking they're all that. HIT THE MUSIC!" And out of nowhere, yes, literally nowhere, Miror B's theme started blaring in the area. "We're about to dance! So hit the dance floor!"


	23. Chapter 23: Part 1: End

Tarous and Houndoom slid backwards, both covered in injuries. Despite being Shadow Pokémon, they were still being pushed back by Serena and Rui's pokemon. "We got them on the ropes…!" Rui grinned. She was actually kind of enjoying this battle even though it was very serious; perhaps because she didn't battle very often. "Plusle, Quick Attack!" Plusle took a runner's stance before darting forward, slamming head first into Houndoom's skull to send it sliding backwards right into Tauros. "Now, Thunder!" Plusle leapt into the air, gathering an abundance of electricity within its body before releasing it in a singular powerful bolt that fried both of Chiper's pokemon!

"Whoa wait…!" The Chiper Peon's were freaking out as they were suddenly put into a huge disadvantage. They weren't expecting a tiny little Plusle to be so powerful!

"Braxien, Fire Blast!" Serena commanded to finish things off while they had the opportunity. Braxien pointed its stick forward, unleashing a gigantic symbol of flame that exploded on both Houndoom and Tauros. When the smoke cleared, the opposing Shadow Pokémon were defeated! "We got them!"

"Ack…!" Both Peon's quickly returned their pokemon. Their surprised expressions soon turned to something akin to satisfaction. "Well…I can't say that went entirely the way we wanted it to…but we did what we came to do."

"Huh?" Rui blinked a few times before shaking her head. "Wait a second! You're not going anywhere before Officer Jenny arrives! Plusle, Thunder Wave!" Plusle then fired off a weak bolt of lightning only to stun the two Chiper Peons.

"Maybe another time!" The Peons then hurled smoke pellets into the ground, obscuring them from sight. The sounds of the doors opening could be heard and when the smoke cleared they were gone.

Rui clenched her hand into a fist and sighed heavily. "Tch…I let them get away."

"We can focus on that later!" Serena patted Rui on the shoulder. "For now we have to go help the others. Who knows what kind of danger they could be in!"

"Right…" Rui nodded slowly. "Let's go!"

.

"Let's try this one more time!" Marcus grinned. "Fraxure, let's go! Incinerate!" Fraxure opened its mouth, creating several spheres of searing flame around its body before unleashing them all forward towards Shadow Krookodile.

"Use Shadow Claw to break through!" Chiper Peon Amelia commanded. A dark claw formed along Krookodile's arm and it slashed through the orbs of fire sent towards it. However….

"Extreme Speed!" Kayla followed up with no hesitation! Arcanine bolted with such speed it nearly became invisible, slamming into Krookodile's chest to send it skidding backwards.

"The boss was right to say you were an annoying bunch…." Amelia grunted with obvious irritation. "Don't say I didn't want to give you any mercy. Shadow Blitz!" A dark aura wrapped around Krookodile's body as it performed a reckless charge forward…only for its foot to get caught within a Grass Knot. "Huh?!"

"Gotcha." Lore snapped his fingers with a wide grin. Mismagius was laughing with a taunting smile.

"Dewott, Razor Shell!" Dewott moved forward once again, leaping into the air while drawing forth both scallops on its thighs. Aquatic blades formed and in one shift motion it slashed Krookodile with force, causing it to slide backwards once again.

"What the…!?" Amelia was shaken by this display of teamwork. Despite the fact she had them on the ropes just a moment ago; the second Axew evolved the tables just turned.

"Faxure! Let's wrap this up!" Marcus commanded. It was then that the two pincers in Fraxure's mouth began to shine brightly, doubling in size as it rushed forward with incredible speed. By moving its head up swiftly, the dragon type sliced Krookodile's neck before sliding past it. An explosion occurred and the Shadow Pokémon was defeated in an instant. "Wha…!? Was that Guillotine!?"

"Agh…" Amelia had no choice but to return Krookodile. But her frustrated expression soon turned to one of indifference. "Oh well…this was a test anyway. These new batch of Shadow Pokémon are coming along nicely."

"Huh….?" Kayla blinked slowly. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, I'm not at liberty to say!" Amelia wagged her finger condescendingly before throwing a smoke pellet down. Before anyone could really do anything else, the Chiper Peon faded away as the smoke cleared up.

"I'm starting to hate the sudden amount of ambiguity in my life." Kayla placed her hands on her hips and huffed before returning Arcanine. "But that aside…shouldn't we go see if the others need our help? There's nothing we can do here anymore."

"Absolutely correct." Lore agreed. "Let us make haste, for the spawns of darkenss shan't be allowed to traverse the land of the living for much longer!"

"Do you have any idea what he just said…" Deadpanned, Kayla's gaze shifted to Marcus.

"…Yeah? He said let's make haste. Chiper shouldn't be allowed to exist for much longer. Keep up with the program."

.

"HIT THE MUSIC!" Miror B exclaimed before throwing not one, not two, but three pokeballs forward. Guess what they all were? It should've been obvious: Ludicolo 3x. All of them dancing in time with the mysterious (Retro Groove) theme that was actually just coming from the radio Folly was forced to hold.

"A real fruitcake…" Elizabeth sighed before issuing the first command. "But we'll be taking you in for questioning. Zoroark, Night Slash!" Zoroark lunged towards a Ludicolo, aiming a fierce downward slash…that was avoided without Miror B even saying so. Luidcolo was just dancing to the music! "Huh…?"

"Luxray! Swift!" Clemont commanded. Luxray leapt into the air and swiped its tail horizontally, releasing a flurry of golden stars that rained down towards the Ludicolo trio.

"1…2…3…JIVE!" Miror B exclaimed. Without even uttering a verbal command, the Ludicolo's acted. All three of them released Bullet Seeds that clashed with the Swift, resulting in explosion midair.

"Electric Terrain!"

"Rain Dance!"

Just as Luxray was about to coat the area in a field of electricity, Ludicolo #2 preformed Rain Dance. The falling rain short circuited the Electric Terrain before it could even begin! "No way, this guy isn't a slouch at all…Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Pikachu jumped forward, gathering electricity in a sphere on the tip of its tail and hurled it forward towards the Ludicolo trio.

"Hydro Pump!" Miror B shouted. Ludicolo #1 fired off a high pressurized jet of water that clashed and overpowered Electro Ball, knocking Pikachu right to the ground. The rain boost didn't make that blow any softer either. #2 and #3 followed suit with Hydro Pumps that landed against Zoroark and Luxray as well. Geez, where was Tierno when you needed him?!

"Did this guy train Tierno or something…!?" Bonnie questioned.

"Just hand over your pokemon, yeah?" Folly chuckled. "There ain't no way you're beating the boss! He's way out of your league!"

"He's right, chumps! Quit now!" Trudley gave that annoying laugh.

"I wouldn't count us out yet…!" Ash spoke. His eyes darted around for any way to strike the Ludicolo trio. They weren't going to break through with conventional methods…and for Ash, being unconventional is what he did best! Finally, he spotted an opening! There was a puddle of water where the Ludicolo trio stood. "Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt on the ground!" Pikachu nodded, releasing a bolt of lightning on the ground. The resulting discharge travelled towards the puddle and gave the trio a good shock!

"W-Wait! You can't just interrupt our steps like that!?" Miror B spoke angrily.

"Night Daze!" Zoroark gathered darkness within its palms before pushing its hands forward. This resulted in a shockwave of darkness to spread out, blinding the Ludicolo trio. Their steps were all messed up and they began to stagger about lost and confused.

"Oh NO NO NO NO NO!" Miror B was NOT having this! Not like this! "We practiced this; don't flake out on me now! Oh no, now he was losing his groove!

"Luxray, Wild Charge!" Luxray howled, fierce lightning wrapped around its body before charging headfirst into the Ludicolo trio. The resulting explosion was large and the rain stopped right at that moment. The three Ludicolo were defeated, much to Miror B's dismay.

"You got them!" Bonnie cheered.

"Ugh..! What is it with these upstart brats always getting in my way…!" Miror B returned his Ludicolo before turning to Trudley and Folly. "Well…you must know what this means boys. Time to run away! But we'll be back, don't you dare forget about me!" Those words hung in the air as Miror B somehow managed to hastily flee wearing those large platform boots. Trudley and Folly followed right behind him.

"That was…something…." Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh. "A former Chiper Admin…same with Lovrina. But unlike her he actually seems to be doing his own thing. We should keep an eye out for him if he decides to show himself again…"

"We have to help the others." Ash brought Elizabeth back to the current reality. "Also…we should do something with these knocked out Chiper grunts…"

"Officer Jenny will be here soon." Clemont confirmed. "For now, let us do what we can!"

.

.

Just outside of Couriway Town, the defeated Chiper Peons regrouped in front of a large device. This device displayed the data from the trainers they just fought along with their own Shadow Pokémon. "The Shadow Pokémon are coming along nicely. Lovrina's research is quite something…" Amelia spoke with wide grin. "Ein's research is also something as well…we have talented scientists on our side."

"Yes…" One Peon nodded in agreement. "With this data, we will be able to increase the effectiveness of the Shadow Pokémon to make them stronger than before! Not to mention we'll know what to expect should we run into these brats again…"

It wasn't too long before Squishy appeared, hopping over to their little hideout. Amelia glanced down at the unknown creature, tilting her head curiously at it. "Well…what do we have here? It's so cute I just wanna squeeze the life out of it…! Let's bring it back to base and corrupt it, yeah?"

Squishy said nothing. Instead its tiny body began to shine in an emerald light, drawing forth the Zygarde Cells from near and far. After gathering a desired amount, Zygarde's little core form began to change into its 10% form! The beast snarled and growled at the Chiper Peon's, leaving them completely stunned.

"What is that thing!?"

The ground began to crack and shatter, several beams of emerald light erupting from the ground. Zygarde proceeded to use its 1000 Arrows, causing the very landscape to shatter and break apart. The machine the Peons were using was of course destroyed from Zygarde's power.

"FALL BACK!"

.

.

Ramos and his Gogoat were having difficulty against Snattle. His Lunatone and Solrock combination was a little much for the Gym Leader to handle, especially because they were both Shadow Pokémon. "Now, Gym Leader…." Snattle began by clearing this throat. "I would like to seize full control of this town immediately. If you comply, I will bring you and your pokemon no harm."

"I don't know who you are…but you've got some nerve." Ramos spoke with that old man sternness. He was not going to be budging from this fight anytime soon.

"Very well. I will just have to do this by force then…" Snattle adjusted his glasses…before a Flamethrower nearly scorched him alive! Though it wasn't exactly aimed for him but instead his two rock types. The sun and moon pokemon were defeated in one shot before he had a chance to register what happened. "What the…!?"

"Didn't you know it's rude to not show respect to your elders?" Cynthia appeared on the scene with Garchomp. "Now then…Chiper Admin. I regret to inform you that this battle is over." Right as Cynthia spoke the others started to arrive on the scene, including Officer Jenny who already took the liberty in arresting the previously defeated Chiper Admins.

"Agh…!" Snattle was unaware that his plans were awry so quickly. Then the tides turned he had no idea. But he spotted Lovrina and was about to ask her to bail him out. "Lovrina! There you are…! Listen to me, I-"

"Ew, stop acting like you know me." Lovrina shook her head. Clearly she wasn't about to blow her cover to save Snattle's hide. He screwed up and would be facing the consequences as a result.

"You're under arrest." Officer Jenny said while cuffing Snattle's hands behind his back. "We have plenty of questions for you."

"WAIT NO NO NO! I'm supposed to be governor! This will look bad on my record!" Snattle cried out as he was dragged away.

"We missed all the fun…" Kasumi huffed. "Grace wouldn't let me fight."

"Within reason." Cynthia lightly scolded. Coming from Cynthia made it a little more understandable. "Now that I think about it…wasn't there somebody else in your group? Where did they go?"

"You mean Wes?" Rui spoke up. "He said he had to check on something and left before you even arrived. Having his help would've been nice though."

"Wes hasn't been here all day…" Elizabeth started to think. "Weird…"

"There was no major damage done to the city." Ramos cleared up those worries instantly. "Nobody was hurt either…I wonder what the purpose of this was…"

"Whatever it is…" Cynthia's expression turned to something more serious. "Chiper has probably sent a message that they are done hiding. So now it falls upon those around to put an end to their schemes. I don't know what they're planning, but I do promise that I will not let it stand."

.

.

Chiper has finally made their move! Mewtwo has been captured, but what are their plans with it? What is Grace's motive for joining with Chiper? There are many questions that need to be answered…and they will be in time. But for now…the Tournament continues! The second round of the tournament begins, and Lady Venus has used her charms to infatuate the crowd and the host! All have been enamored with the woman's charm. Will Ash and company be able to fight against someone who can manipulate the will of the tournament itself!? Find out next time!

Next Time: Pokémon XYZ: The Shadow Project Part 2: All Hail Lady Venus!


	24. Chapter 24: All Hail Lady Venus!

"GOOOOOD MORNING EVERYONE! WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER EXCTING ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT!" The host blared to the entire audience. Every single member cheered loudly in response to the hosts' shouting. "This is round 2! Last round was a single 3 on 3 battle! But this time we will do this round differently; it will be a round robin double battle contest! Each contestant will participate in three double battles, the first and last rounds will be solo, but for the second they are allowed to partner with someone of their choosing on their team! If you lose two battles, you're out! If you win, you stay in! Simple rules, yes?"

"So my intel was correct…" Lore seemed quite smug with this. "Double battles ahoy! This should be fun."

Shortly after, Wes finally arrived on the Kalos side and leaned on the railing. "Oh, double battles? I did this all the time in Orre, this'll be no problem."

"THERE YOU ARE!" Rui started to smack Wes' arm, annoyed at his fashionably late entrance. "Didn't you get my messages yesterday!? Where were you!?"

"I was caught up in stuff…" Wes responded coolly. "I didn't think that Chiper would attack while I was away."

"It was almost like they knew you'd be away…" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at Wes.

"That's not important right now." Wes waved a hand to dismiss Elizabeth's suspicious remark.

"I'm pumped for this!" Ash grinned.

"Good luck everyone!" Serena said with a wave. "You guys are going to do great!"

"Break their legs." Lovrina said while filing her nails.

"It's…break a leg." Clemont corrected Lovrina with an awkward smile.

"…Oh." Lovrina sheepishly looked away, rubbing the back of her head.

"But before we begin…there is a special announcement we have to make! There is a very special guest here with us today." The host turned to the entrance off to his left. "You know her…you love her…it's…..LADY VENUS!"

From the entrance, Lady Venus slowly walked forward with a gentle wave. The crowd started to go wild! From men, women, and even the children, all of them started to cheer in unison: "LADY VENUS!" Meanwhile, Venus smirk sauntered forward with a smile underneath the veil covering her mouth. "Hello, my lovelies! Good morning to you all!"

"What the…?" Bonnie looked around at those nearby, surprised that Venus had such an impact on them. "What's the big deal…? I mean…yeah she's really pretty and…"

"Don't look at her…!" Rui quickly blocked Bonnie's view of Venus.

"Wait, what's going on?" Marcus looked around at the entire stadium. Just about everyone was enamored with Lady Venus. "The atmosphere is completely different from the other day! When she arrived before hardly anyone batted an eyelash!"

"It's the same phenomenon that occurred in The Under…Venus was the newscaster in that city and everyone was head over heels for her." Rui explained. "I don't know how she did it then, and I don't know how she did it this time either!"

"Good morning, everyone! It's your Venus! Everyone's Venus! That's me!" Venus smiled to everyone and that was enough for them to quiet down. "I have some important news for everyone! As of today, I will be one of the overseers for this tournament! You can call me a special referee of sorts. If I don't like your performance today in the tournament, you may get the boot early! But that's okay, because I will personally hand you a special pokemon to make up for your performance! If you hold onto that Pokémon tightly, you'll become an incredibly strong trainer and no one will be able to stop you!"

"What is she…?" Cynthia furrowed her brows while listening to Venus' speech. "Is she with Chiper after all…?"

"She couldn't be talking about distributing Shadow Pokémon, could she…!?" Kasumi turned to look at the others. "If she's still a member of Chiper, then…"

"Let's pause on that for a second…" Kayla shook her head. "Did you miss the part where she said she was butting in on the tournament!? There should be some kind of rule about this!"

"I think there was." Wes remarked. "And I think she's the one who just wrote it."

"Another thing!" Venus displayed on the screen the event of Kasumi's 'power' unleashing the other day on Dakim. "If you have to fight against this trainer, please take extreme caution! She is very dangerous when aggravated and she almost brought harm onto my colleague, oh the horror!" Venus' swoon was enough for the crowd to gasp. "The last thing I would want to see is anyone hurt as a result from this trainer's inability to control herself!"

"…." Kasumi just got exposed in front of everyone once again. She wasn't even sure how to react aside from hiding her face in her hat to avoid the judgmental stares of the audience completely under Venus' spell.

"That little…" Grace for one was extremely irritated by Venus' words. "How dare she…!?"

Lovrina had the most interested look on her face. She knew not was Chiper was planning by using Venus to gain control of the tournament; however she definitely wanted to see where this was going. "Lady Venus, you are quite the wild card indeed…"

"I hope everyone has a fantastic time at the tournament today! Please do your best for me, okay~?!" Venus winked, blowing a kiss to everyone before standing down.

"And that was all from our wonderful Lady Venus!" The host exclaimed. "Isn't she just wonderful?"

"I swear that woman is just a watching attraction…" Rui grumbled bitterly since it looked like Wes was still paying more attention to Venus than her. "What's she got that I don't…!?"

"Right now? Dignity." Lovrina casually mentioned. Rui couldn't even fight back to that one….

.

.

Venus was just getting all of the attention today, because she was also the first one up to get her first double battle out of the way. The field changed to a rocky-type arena as both Venus and her opponent Blake took to the stage. "I shall be unveiling my pokemon first. We are live on Venus airways and I hope my audience sees nothing but my best! Steelix, Banette, shine on the stage!" Venus called forth her Steelix and Banette with a wide smile on her face.

"You're crazy, lady…" Blake scoffed before calling out his two pokemon: Amoongus and Sawsbuck. "But as a gentlemen, I'll allow you the first move!"

"How sweet of you." Venus then scoffed, using one hand to flip her hair. Banette, Steelix, use Attract!" Venus commanded. Banette and Steelix created several hearts around its body before shooting the forward towards the opposing two Pokémon. Before Blake could respond, both of his pokemon were completely infatuated with the opposition.

"Huh!? Hey! Sawsbuck! Amoongus!?" Blake looked between his two Pokémon, neither of which responded to him. "What's going on?!"

"And it begins…" Wes said with an annoyed sign. "Venus' battle strategy: Attract, and then wail away at you when you can't fight back. It's incredibly obnoxious, actually. But highly effective."

"I see…" Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh. "She's one of those…"

"Steelix, Iron Tail!" Steelix reared its large tail backwards before slamming it down onto both Sawsbuck and Amoongus. The impact was incredibly strong and the ground shattered under Steelix's might. Sawsbuck and Amoongus were trapped under Steelix's tail in severe damage…but that wasn't even the most shocking part of what occurred.

"Sawsbuck and Amoongus are unable to battle! Lady Venus is the winner!" The referee exclaimed. His call was much too early but the battle had already been decided within the first move!

"WHAT THE?!" Ash's eyes widened. "Wait! That can't be right! They can still fight…!"

"No no, this will never do. They can't continue in such a condition." Venus gave a very disappointed shrug. While the audience was cheering for Venus' easy victory, there were a few people who could clearly tell that this result was very wrong. "I hate to have to do this…but Blake; you are removed from this tournament. Such an inadequate performance is not entertaining for the masses. I hope you understand." The weight those words carried could be felt by everyone in the stadium.

Blake just stood there in absolute shock, the color having drained from his face. "I-I…this can't be happening…!"

"The word of Lady Venus is absolute!" The host shouted. "I am sorry but this ends it for Blake of Unova!"

"This is insane…" Serena mumbled with a frown. "This can't be okay…!"

"I don't see many people trying to stop this…" Elizabeth spoke with a low tone.

Meanwhile, Ein and Dakim watched the unfolding events from their side of the stadium Ein chuckled lowly. "Venus has always been a handful…but her ability to charm a crowd into doing her bidding scares even me. This tournament is going to prove very interesting indeed, especially since we'll be using this as an outlet for Shadow Pokémon. Oh ho…beware Kalos. The charm of Lady Venus is something to fear indeed…"

.

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Next Time: Double Trouble!


	25. Chapter 25: Double Trouble!

"It's no good…" Cynthia shook her head slowly while discussing with the others about Lady Venus in the midst of the tournament. "Despite her actions, there's still no way to tie her to Chiper. The Pokémon she could be handing out could be a regular one just given out of pure curiosity. With no evidence to go on we can't say anything…"

"So she's just allowed to get away this this?" Serena shook her head in disapproval. "It's not right!"

"I know…." Cynthia moved some of her hair back. "But for now you'll just have to comply with her rules. If she is with Chiper perhaps she'll slip up somewhere…"

"So play along in this giant game now…? Wonderful…" Elizabeth sighed heavily while leaning back in her seat. "This isn't what I signed up for, darn it…Lady Venus my butt…"

"I wouldn't let the crowd hear you say that." Wes warned. "They could report you and get you thrown off the team with the snap of a finger with Venus around."

The fact that the possibility existed made everyone sweat slightly. "Right…she calls the shots now and even the slightest bit of slander could cause problems for us. I feel like those on the other teams have realized this as well…" Marcus suggested while pointing to the other sides of the arena. The other trainers on the teams didn't look very pleased with the current outcome of things.

Rui let out a heavy sigh while glancing around the stadium. She was unable to detect any Shadow Pokémon in the vicinity so she gave up and leaned against the railing, defeated. "It's no use…I can't see anything. They're getting better at hiding the presence of Shadow Pokémon…but I can still see them if I try hard enough."

"Keep searching." Cynthia asked politely. "If you spot one, let me know immediately. We'll go over to apprehend them and possibly gather more information."

"Yes ma'am!" Rui saluted.

"Huh…that motivated her rather quickly." Lovrina commented.

"If she told me to do anything I'd be motivated to do it too." Elizabeth stated with a star struck expression.

"Right…." Lovrina was just going to leave that one alone. "So…you all have fun with this tournament thing. I'm really interested in seeing how this turns out."

"Yeah I bet you'll enjoy this…" Marcus rolled his eyes at Lovrina. He may have been staring a little longer than he should've been which caused Lorvina to quirk a brow. "A-Anyway…! Looks like Lady—er…VENUS, is about to say something."

"Be careful, it's infectious." Rui pointed out.

"Having fun are we? My new rules are making things so much more exciting, aren't they?" Venus waved to the crowd and of course they loved her presence and everything they had to offer. "I think the people watching on TV have fallen in love with me too, but who can blame them?"

Kasumi rubbed her temples in an annoyed fashion, groaning as Venus' ego filled the entire atmosphere. "The more she talks the sicker I get."

Cynthia folded her arms across her chest, staring at Venus intently. "If she's also invading the airways…that means she's got Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova in the palm of her hand at this rate. Who knows what other regions could be watching. I don't like this one bit…but there's still naught we can do just yet…"

"So, you know that little points system? Yeah, I'm abolishing that. You're all far too wonderful to be rated on a performance from a while ago. Nobody deserves to be a one! To Lady Venus, you're all 10s!" Venus' cheerful voice uplifted the crowd already. The fact she could shift their mood with a simple sentence was very troublesome. "So from now on, fight to the finish! Last region standing wins!"

"Well…there goes the unique aspect of this tournament…" Wes shrugged. "Combined with her ability to just boot people out this round and possibly for the following ones…This'll be a drag. But either way, it looks like I'm up next…" The Hero of Orre stretched before heading down to the battlefield.

"Good luck…!" Rui waved Wes off with a bright smile.

"So…are you gonna claim him anytime soon or something…?" Kasumi questioned.

"…!" Rui's face turned bright red at Kasumi's question. She shook her head, laughing nervously as her hands waved as if to dismiss the situation. "I-I…We were just partners…!"

"See how she doesn't deny it…" Serena teased, like she was really one to be talking considering her situation.

"Leave me alone…!" Rui covered her red face with her hands and turned away. Poking fun at her was worth the needed laugh everyone had given the situation.

.

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Somewhere in the audience, Team Rocket was watching everything go down. Jessie seemed quite bitter about the fact that Venus was capable of enamoring a crowd faster than she could. "Who does that upstart tramp think she is!? If I was up there on stage I would…!"

"Now now…!" James had to do whatever he could to calm Jessie down. The Venus slander had to be kept to a minimum because who knows what kind of hell the audience could raise if they over heard anything. "Let's just sit quietly and observe this outcome…"

"Yeah…" Meowth nodded in agreement. "This place is filled with crazies now. Last thing we need is to stand out like sore thumbs. We'll get mauled…!"

"Chiper is truly terrifying…no wonder the boss wanted us to keep an eye on them." James took notes. "We still don't know who's pulling the strings either."

.

"Umbreon, Dark Pulse. Espeon, Psybeam!" Wes commanded. Both Eeveelutions jumped forward, releasing beams of their respective type towards the lone Metagross standing against them. The Metagross took the direct hit from both beams and slid backwards towards the trainer, Max.

"Agh…!" Max grunted from Metagross' struggle. He had a Ferrothorn out as well, but Wes made short work of that when the battle started! "How is this guy so good!?"

"Wes has really been tearing it up out there!" Ash exclaimed. "He's really good at double battles. He looks like he's been doing this for a long time."

"That's right!" Rui nodded with a matter of factly tone. "When Wes and I took down Chiper together, all the battle done were double battles! Some of them were really intense, too…but Double Battling is like a second nature to him. Probably why he doesn't do well in single battles so often…"

"Metagross, Flash Cannon!" Max shouted. Metagross opened its mouth, gathering energy before releasing a silver beam of pure steel towards the Umbreon and Espeon duo.

"Dodge, both of you!" Wes shouted. The dark and psychic type split off in two directions. Once Umbreon landed, Wes issued his next command. "Umbreon, Quick Attack!" Umbreon darted forward with incredible speed, slamming headfirst into Metagross' face to send it sliding backwards. "Espeon, Iron Tail!" Espeon jumped onto Umbreon's back, flipping forward as its tail shone brightly before slamming into Metagross' head. Espeon's force was surprisingly overwhelming as Metagross was crushed into the ground, KO'ed.

"Metagross is unable to battle! Therefore, Wes is the winner!" The referee exclaimed.

"Let's go Wessss! Let's go!" Rui clapped; though she was really the only one cheering with such exuberance. "Ah…?" Looking at the others, she once again just exposed herself to the group. She had to tone it down a little bit.

"At this rate you're gonna cause a scene…" Elizabeth teased. "But his skills are very impressive in double battles. I don't think we'll have to worry about him in this round."

 _"_ _It's not him you should be worried about…"_ Grace's thoughts trailed off and she took a glance at Lovrina. It seemed the two of them were thinking the same thing. Lady Venus had her sights set on the Kalos Team and definitely planned to remove them the moment she could.

.

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Next Time: Double Mayhem!


	26. Chapter 26: Double Mayhem

The double battles of Round 2 raged on! Marcus was up next, having his Starvia and newly evolved Fraxure out on the grassy terrain field. "All right you two, you ready!?" Fraxure let out a roar while Staravia nodded.

Marcus' opponent was a busty female with bright pink hair and green eyes. Her name was Takeba and she was representing the Kanto team. "Okay my dears. Let us have a grand performance!" Takeba called forth a Linoone and Electrode.

"Oh, when did Axew evolve!?" Kasumi's eyes lit up brightly. "Fraxure looks so cool!"

"It happened yesterday during the battle with Chiper." Lore explained. "That thing really pulled through for us too, we might have been in a bad situation without it."

"I see…" Grace nodded slowly. "At least we were all able to make it out of that situation without any problems…"

"Wonder how long that's gonna last…" Lovrina mumbled inconspicuously. "Anyway, let's how the weakest in the bunch does in a fight now that he's got a little boost."

"Huh...?" Ash turned to Lovrina. "What does that mean…?"

"You haven't noticed yet?" Lovrina shook her head slowly. "Well….I don't think it's my place to tell you anything. So you can just wait until he brings it up himself."

Serena tilted her head. "You sure have an eye for other people…"

"It's part of my job…er, intuition." Quickly correcting herself, she focused on the battle at hand. "Anyway, I want to sit back and enjoy this if you please."

"All right. Fraxure, Incinerate! Staravia, Aerial Ace on Linoone!" Marcus commanded. Fraxure opened its mouth, releasing several searing orbs of flame towards both Linoone and Electrode to force them to separate. Staravia then flew forward, aiming to strike Linoone.

"Eletrode, Light Screen!" Takeba ordered. Eletrode rolled forward, creating psychic barrier that lessened the damage from Incinerate on both ends. With the damage reduced, it was Linoone's time to shine. "Linoone, Headbutt!" Linoone then darted across the battlefield, meeting Staravia halfway to slam its skull into its chest, causing the avain to soar backwards before catching itself.

"Tch..! Fraxure, Guillotine!' Marcus was going right for the jugular already!

"Guillotine!?" Grace's eyes widened. "When did…!?"

The pincers on Fraxure's mouth shone brightly before the mid staged dragon lunged forward! It aimed to slice Linoone…but just before impact the pincer's lost their edge. "Huh…?! Oh crap…!" Marcus realized this folly immediately.

"It looks like they need a little more practice on that move…" Cynthia probably would've chided Marcus had he been within earshot for rushing the use of such a dangerous move.

No way Takeba was going to look this gift horse in the mouth. "Electrode, Thunder!" The large sphere gathered a large abundance of electricity within its body before launching it at Fraxure, landing a direct hit! "Looks like you could use a little more practice!"

This wasn't what Marcus had in mind going into this battle. Still, he wasn't going to give up so easily just because one move wasn't working! "Fraxure, slash it away with Dragon Claw!" Despite the pain of the Thunder, Fraxure snapped its eyes opened and clawed through the electrical force with ease, leaving nothing but harmless sparks in its wake.

"Huh…!?" Takeba's eyes widened at Fraxure's strength. "How!?"

"Staravia, Double Edge on Linoone! Fraxure, Dual Chop on Electrode!" Marcus was feeling it now! Staravia tucked its wings in, diving into Linoone with a life risking tackle to send it soaring backwards. Fraxure was up next, sliding to a stop in front of Electrode with its arms held to its sides. Two swift chops were delivered to Electrode's face, causing it to roll away towards Linoone, "Now, Incinerate!" Fraxure once again released multiple orbs of flame that collided with the two downed pokemon for a large explosion. When that explosion cleared, Linoone and Electrode were down!

"Electrode and Linoone are unable to battle! Therefore Marcus is the winner of his first double battle of the day!" The referee exclaimed.

"Whew! We made it!" Marcus grinned towards his two partners. "First one of the day…here's hoping we can win the other later."

.

Next up was Kasumi, using Dragonite and Galvantula against her opponent's, Jack's, Torterra and Drapion. The battle was heated and looked as though it could lean either way! "Torterra, use Wood hammer! Drapion, X-Scissor!" Toretta's claw turned into an emerald green hammer composed of energy from its own typing! Rushing forward it planned to slam into Dragonite while Drapion lunged forward with its pincers crossed in an X formation while lunging towards Galvantula!

"Dragonite, Fire Punch! Galvantula, Sticky Web!" Kasumi was quick to react! Flames flickered on Dragonite's fist and it clashed with Torterra's Wood Hammer! A shockwave boomed out from the collision awhile neither side refused to give in! As for Galvantula, it shot out a web on the ground that halted Drapion's movement immediately after getting hit. While it took damage, it managed to prevent Drapion from moving anymore. "Now, Charge Beam!" Gathering electricity within its mouth, Galvantula released it all in the form of a condensed beam that hit Drapion directly.

"Hm…" Clemont was looking over data as Kasumi fought with Dragonite. Using the same method he used to examine Ash and Greninja, he looked at the two wavelengths of both Kasumi and Dragonite from the bracelets they wore.

"Anything yet…?" Grace questioned hesitantly. "I wouldn't be letting her use Dragonite if this didn't promise some kind of result…"

"Nothing yet…" Clemont mumbled. "So far Kasumi's emotional balance is stable….she's excited from the battle, but that alone isn't enough to bring the shadow power forth, is it?"

"Usually not too often…but it's still a risk we'd rather not indulge in." Grace titled her head to the side, rocking it back and forth slightly. "It's usually some kind of provocation from what I've seen…"

"I'm sure she'll be okay! As long as nothing bad happens…" Rui fiddled with her fingers while giving a hopeful smile. "There's no telling what Venus has in mind, you know…?"

"She's a crazy one all right…" Lovrina shook her head. "No telling how she'll gun for you all. She doesn't seem like the Kalos type, does she?"

Bonnie turned to Lovrina, poking her tongue out. "Can't you please be quiet so my big brother can focus? We can't help Kasumi without knowing what makes her tick!"

"She's right; you're a really chatty teenager. Quiet down a bit…" Elizabeth added.

"Fine fine…" Lovrina waved her hand around.

"Either way…" Clemont continued. "It seems as though she's fine right now."

"Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite opened its mouth, releasing a multicolored beam of energy that took the shape of a roaring dragon. This beam struck Torterra and Drapion for a powerful explosion. When the smoke around the two faded both pokemon were KO'ed.

"Drapion and Torterra are unable to battle! Kasumi is the winner of her first double battle!" The referee exclaimed.

"Yes!" Kasumi pumped her fists into the air, giving Dragonite and Galvantula a congratulatory hug. "Nice job you two, let's keep up the good work!"

"Oh, this will never do." Venus snatched the mic from the host, displaying her obvious distaste for Kasumi having any kind of victory. "How can you let this walking danger win with such ease? No no no, I do not approve. You must try harder next time!"

"YEAH! BOO!" The crowd started to boo Kasumi simply because Lady Venus didn't like the fact she had won. "Get outta here!

"Go lose!"

"Boo!"

Kasumi's eyes widened at the negative reception she received for simply winning. Her lip quivered slightly and she looked upset. "W-What did I do wrong…? I didn't…"

Amidst all the growing chaos, Clemont finally noticed a spike in Kasumi's emotional stability. It all started the moment Venus expressed her discontent. "H-Hey…! She's reacting to this…!"

"Anyone would in this situation…" Kayla muttered. "But that's not the important part right now…! Why don't you all hush up!?" Though try as she might, the crowd was intent on booing Kasumi as long as Lady Venus commanded it; her word was absolute after all.

Deciding she'd had enough of this, Grace left the stands only to call out Salamance and fly up to the area above where Venus and the host were. "That's enough! Leave her alone right now!" The crowd fell into silence as she was the one who tried to command Lady Venus. With a fierce glare in her blue eyes, Grace didn't back down at this moment even as she knew she was staring down a Chiper Admin: a person who could expose her true allegiances at any given moment. But for Kasumi's sake she was willing to take that risk.

"….." Venus stared down Grace with an amused smiled. Taking a step forward, the idol leaned in to whisper in a tone low enough for just the two of them to hear. "You're treading on very thin ice, little girl. Don't forget who you're working for."

Grace refused to respond, however her body language already said it all. "…"

"What's going on up there…?" Ash questioned silently.

"The air got a little tense…" Serena said while placing a hand on her cheek, staring worriedly at Grace confronting Venus.

Venus then pulled away from Grace, speaking to the crowd once more. "Okay, I suppose that's enough for now. We still have a round to get through right? I still look forward to seeing almost everyone do their best!" The crowd washed away all the tension with some cheers while Grace returned to her seat after returning Salamance. The battles resumed and Elizabeth was up next to battle.

"You've got guts." Wes chuckled. "I wouldn't have recommended doing that."

"You're insane." Lore shook his head, but there was some weird smile on his lips despite his words. "To stand against potential corruption head on, truly, the warrior's spirit lives on in you."

"I don't know what you're saying but I take it you're also chastising me…" Grace sighed.

"I thought that was pretty cool!" Ash spoke up, causing Grace to look at him strangely. "I mean, I'd do the same thing too if any of you guys were put under pressure like that. It wasn't right or fair to Kasumi. Grace was just the first one to act on it, which just means that Kasumi has a good friend in Grace, right?"

"Huh…" Marcus didn't think of things that way. Partially because he was one who couldn't even think of what to do during that situation.

"He's right." Kasumi had a small smile as she rubbed the back of her head. "Thank you, Grace. But uh…what did she whisper to you? It got really quiet for a second there…"

"J-Just a warning…" Grace admitted. "But I'm not worried about it…I'm worried about you. Are you okay?"

"Mhm. Just fine!" Kasumi nodded. "I didn't…worry any of you, did I…?"

"I saw your shadow flicker a little…but you kept your cool." Rui said with a nod. "Just keep restraint like that and you should be fine…!"

"We'll be right here with you!" Serena added for encouragement. That smile of hers had a strange power to uplift the mood of everyone around, so even a tense moment could be put at ease even slightly with that girl's smile.

.

.

With the first part of Round 2 over, Ein and Dakim approached Venus before the tag team matchups were announced. "Well, that was quite a situation you caused earlier. What was your goal?"

"I just want to see the world burn a little." Venus responded with a light hearted chuckle. "I thought I could get our test subject to go a little nuts, but as it turns out our little spy is quite fast. It's no skin off my back, though."

"You should've been more forceful!" Dakim slammed his fist into his palm with a brutish grunt.

"There's no fun in spoiling the surprise early." Venus giggled. "I'm having fun being in charge of this event. Oh! That reminds me, did you load up the losers with Shadow Pokémon yet? Some of them seemed to be exceptionally enamored with the idea."

"Not quite." Ein said with an annoyed sigh. "As it turns out, the Champion of Sinnoh is snooping about. No doubt she's looking for evidence to connect us to Chiper's revival; Lovrina herself is having a hard time staying undercover. We need to stay in the dark a little longer before making any moves."

"Ah…don't worry about that." Venus wagged her finger. "I've thought of a way to get her off our backs for a little bit. In the meantime, wanna see what little fun I'm having making these matchups for part two?"

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Next Time: Tag Team!


	27. Chapter 27: Tag Team

There was a small intermission between the finish of part 1 of round 2. So far in the Kalos Team: Marcus, Ash, Elizabeth, Wes, Grace, and Kasumi all succeeded in winning one battle; as for Lore and Kayla, they were not so fortunate and lost their battles. They still had one chance left for a comeback otherwise they would be eliminated from the tournament. At a concessions stand just outside tournament grounds, most of our Kalos group discussed the possibility of what the tag team battles had to offer. "Things are starting to heat up now." Ash said while feasting on some popcorn. "I'm getting excited! We've got plenty of strong opponents ahead!"

"Me too!" Marcus pumped a fist. "Things are looking good so far. Despite what Venus is doing, she hasn't been interfering too badly minus that thing with Kasumi…where is she anyway…?"

"Serena took her out to calm down a little." Ash explained. "She's really good at that sort of thing, so you can trust her!" Ash definitely had faith in Serena and was able to put the others at ease slightly with his belief.

"Thank goodness…she could use a break." Grace let out a slight sigh of relief. "Serena is a small blessing. Something about that girl's smile…"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Yeah. I just wanna get to the fighting again already."

"Hey hey!" That voice came from Takeba from the previous fight with Marcus! The large chest of the female bounced and she greeted the Kalos team with a smile. "Nice to meet you all, Kalos Team. We haven't officially met, but I'm Takeba, captain from the Kanto region!"

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Marcus remarked.

"Don't start flirting, you're terrible at it." Grace shut down any attempts real quick. Marcus mumbled and went back to drinking his soda.

"I just wanted to say that you're all really impressive!" Takeba smiled. "Seeing you all put in work during the first round and this one was nice to watch! Though I can't say I'm not worried about your blonde friend…I don't think she's as dangerous as that Lady Venus would like us to believe."

"Wait, you mean you're not in love with Lady Venus like everyone else?" Rui tilted her head. "I thought she infatuated everyone at this point…"

"No." A male voice spoke this time. A tan skinned male clad in all black was right next to them, causing everyone to jump slightly. "I'm Scott…leader of the Unova Team…though I suppose that means nothing since Venus changed the prospect of the tournament around."

"W-Where the heck did you come from!?" Rui pointed accusingly at Scott, who just blew over things.

"I told you…Unova…" Scott wasn't getting the question and it was better off just to leave it be. "Regardless…I've come to see the resolve within those in your team…"

"That doesn't make any sense." Marcus crossed his arms. "What are you trying to do exactly?"

"For example…" Scott pointed at Grace. "Your battle potential is exceptionally high. You are a danger on the battlefield. However…your heart is weak. You are indecisive in your actions, it is easy to see it in your eyes."

"…!?" Grace's eyes widened. Did this guy see through her so easily!? "I…"

"That's not a very nice thing to say. How can you tell…?" Ash questioned, only for Scott's attention to go to him.

"You on the other hand…are not like this girl. You heart is strong, and your sense of power radiates from your heart. You will go far." Scott nodded, satisfied with his analysis.

"Oh, do me, do me!" Rui waved her hand up. She had no idea what was going on but she didn't want to be excluded from it.

"You are…" Scott tilted his head. "A pure soul. A cinnamon roll is the most accurate description."

"I don't really get what he's saying…" Takeba placed her hand on her forehead and sighed. "Whatever…I just wanted to wish you luck in the next batch of fights. I dunno what this one's all on about."

"I don't either…" Grace said while rubbing the back of her head. "What a strange man…probably stranger than Lore."

"I take offense to that." Lore remarked.

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"Welcome back everyone! I hope you enjoyed the little intermission before the next part of this round begins!" The host exclaimed. "For this round, you have been paired up with someone remaining from your team. Our results will be complied after today as well, and we can tell you who the top seed in this tournament is after this round is done! Now, time for the tag teams! And a quick note…for those who may be left alone, it is up to you whether or not you want to team up with someone to make it even, or go it alone. It's your choice!" A screen flipped on, showing the remaining people from each region. Each region had at least two people left so matching them into tag teams was simply, excluding the few that had an odd number remaining like Johto or Hoenn.

Kalos Tag Teams: Ash and Marcus, Grace and Elizabeth, Lore and Kayla, Wes and Kasumi.

Seeing these tag teams offered some relief and confusion among the others. Marcus and Ash seemed to be quite okay with this as they put their hands into the air. "All right! We're gonna take down whoever stands in our way easy!"

"We'll knock 'em down in just one hit!" Marcus nodded in agreement.

"The last tag team we needed…" Elizabeth shook her head before nudging Grace slightly. "So, girl power, eh?"

"Hah…" Grace nodded and offered a smile. "You know it."

"Man…" Lore scratched the back of his head. "If we lose this next battle that's it for us. I don't intend on shaming this team's honor with a blemish of a loss, understand!?" His voice was directed at Kayla, who just waved her hands.

"H-Hey, I feel the same way…!" The female responded. "I don't want to lose either! So let's give it our all!"

"You and I huh…?" Kasumi tilted her head before extending her hand to Wes. "We got this, right?"

"Of course." Wes nodded before shaking Kasumi's hand. Meanwhile, Grace was just not liking this entire set up…

Oddly enough, Venus nor Ein were paired with anyone just yet, which made Rui rather suspicious. "Hm…."

"I see you noticed it too." Cynthia nodded slightly. "Something about this seems very strange to me…"

"I see that Scott guy decided to fly solo." Ash said while looking at the newly formed bracket. "Also…." There was one match in particular that caught his attention; Lore and Kayla against Ein? "That Ein guy is up against you two!"

"Oh great…former Chiper Admin. Maybe we can wring out some information!" Kayla thought this was a good idea. "Yes, we can do this!"

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Wes and Kasumi were up first to battle. Kasumi went on ahead to the battlefield while Wes was on his way, however in the hallway he ended up being stopped by Grace. "Oh…? What's that look for? Is there something on my face?" Wes questioned.

"I don't like you teaming up with her." Grace stated bluntly. "Especially you…Grand Master Wes. Not after the hell you've put her through!"

"Ah, so that's what this is about. You're worried I'll purposely draw out her power, is it?" Wes questioned with a slight chuckle. "I didn't have any plans on doing that. In fact, if she performs superbly, I might finally hand over that Time Flute you've been working so desperately for."

Hearing those words made Grace tense up, her hands clenching into tight fists. "Don't play games with me. I'm watching you…"

"Don't forget who you're talking to." Wes shook his head slowly. "You're doing all this fighting and yet I bet you haven't even told her your secret…and I doubt she even knows why you're fighting so hard for you sake. Everything you've done thus far has amounted to surprisingly little progress…but don't take it from me. I think you've been doing an exceptional job for us thus far. Your motives are…sweet. But you'll never get where you want to be working the way you are."

"I don't want to hear this from you." Grace brushed off the words. "I'm just confirming that you won't mess with her."

"You've my word. I'm not behind what Venus is up to anyway, but it's too entertaining to tell her to stop." Wes answered. "Just keep up the work and you'll see that Time Flute in due time."

Having decided she was waiting too long, Kasumi went to look for Wes to see what the holdup was. She happened to stumble upon these two and their conversation and hid behind a corner, just out of sight from the two of them. "Huh…? What are they talking about…?" Kasumi couldn't put the pieces together, but she could tell when the conversation was about her. Clearing her throat, she stepped forward and acted as if she arrived just when the conversation ended. "Hey, what's the hold up?"

"Oh, sorry…" Grace took a step back, giving a sheepish smile. "Just wanted to wish you both good luck!"

"Yeah, that's all it was." Wes shrugged before going on ahead. Kasumi was still skeptical while Grace was still on edge.

"Good luck, Kasumi! And don't listen to what Venus has to say. You're doing great." Grace offered the words of encouragement which gave Kasumi a smile

"Mhm…thank you!" With a great smile and some newfound determination, Kasumi went off to her double battle with Wes.

With a heavy sigh, Grace rubbed her arm and started to return to the stands. "…Just a little bit longer. I don't care what happens as long as I can get my hands on that Flute. Hold on for just a little bit longer…"

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Next Time: Clairvoyance.


	28. Chapter 28: Clairvoyance

Scott was the one Wes and Kasumi had to face. How strange for him to be going this alone against Kalos who had yet to lose any members just yet. Scott, however, already had one victory to his name in the first double battle of the day. Standing across from the unlikely Kalos duo, Scott drew his hands from his pockets. "I see…so you are the opponents that I must face today. What a strange duo…one whose heart is locked within darkness, while the other…" Narrowing his eyes at Wes…he wasn't quite sure what to make of him. It was almost as if he was hiding something. "I don't know about you. This is a first."

"I'm not an open book." Wes responded before calling forth a new pokemon he had yet to unveil thus far: Meganium. Meganium let out a small roar upon landing on the field.

"…Is that a Meganium? You don't see many people use that one…" Marcus remarked.

"AHHH!" Rui squealed, causing the others to nearly jump out of their seat. "Meganium is so cute! I love that one…!"

"What don't you love about whatever he does…" Elizabeth grumbled while shaking her head.

"Ah? A grass type…then I should help compensate…" Kasumi nodded silently to herself before tossing a pokeball out. From it, Magmortar was called out. "There we go! Let's shine, Magmortar!"

"An ironic statement…" Scott responded before tossing up two pokeballs into the air. From it, Manectric and Chandelure were called forth. Manectric wore a small necklace with a Mega Stone firmly secured in the center. "For you are not a being who shines brightly…yet I can see the attempt. I will learn a lot from this battle…however I already know how it is going to end. With your defeat, as I advance to the next round."

"Someone's a little cocky…" Kasumi let out a heavy sigh. "I'm just going to do my best!"

"And it seems that Scott has opted to go alone in this fight! Will he be able to defeat this duo!?" The host questioned.

"This will be a two on two battle! The battle is over when both pokemon on one side are unable to battle!" The referee held his hand up before throwing it down. "Begin!"

"Petal Dance!" Wes commanded to start the battle off. Meganium let out a cry before a whirlwind of petals suddenly flared around its body, launching forward towards the opposing pair.

"I knew you'd do as much." Scott pointed a hand forward. "As we discussed; Chandelure, Flame Burst." Chandelure spun around before shooting forth a ghostly ember from the flame on its head. This flame rocketed towards the incoming Petal Dance, exploding to burn the petals to nothing but crispy leaves. "Now, Manectric, Thunderbolt on Magmortar!" Manectric leapt forward, wasting no time in unleashing a gigantic bolt of lightning directly towards Magmortar.

"Flamethrower!" Kasumi was quick to respond. Magmortar pointed its arm cannon forward, unleashing a powerful stream of flame that clashed with the Thunderbolt. The two attacks exploded in the center of the field and created a cloud of smoke in the middle of the field. "Now, Solar Beam!" Gathering the light energy from the sun's rays, Magmortar's body shone in a bright neon green hue before releasing the energy gathered in the form of a gigantic golden beam that cut through the smoke and hit…absolutely nothing! When the smoke cleared both Manectric and Chandelure were gone! "Huh…?"

"Take a look…" Wes gestured to the hole in the ground. "Manectric used Dig…now the question is…"

"Now!" Scott exclaimed. Right as he vocalized his command, the ground in front of Magmortar opened up and Manectric rose up to tackle it fiercely for a super effective hit! Chandelure rose immediately alongside Manectric with its handles set ablaze, using a physical varation of Will-O-Wisp on Meganium for damage! Both Magmortar and Meganium slid backwards, the latter of the two receiving the harsh Burn effect Will-O-Wisp was infamous for!

"No way…I didn't even hear him issue a command!" Ash stared in astonishment. "This guy is really good!"

"Oof…it's not looking good so far for either of them." Rui made her statement while observing the battle. "I was afraid of this, though…Wes doesn't exactly work well with others…"

"Considering how he said he blew up his previous employer's base, I figured that would be the case…" Elizabeth shook her head slowly, still not quite trusting of Wes and for good reason. "I don't know what's up with this Scott guy, but he's good…they might lose with their discord…they are not a compatible team."

"He's not her type." Grace stated flatly.

"So…how'd you know what two different people were going to do?" Kasumi couldn't help but ask that elephant of a question.

Scott held his hand up to the sky, speaking with pride. "I am one who holds powerful psychic power. It is what allows me to see into the depths of a person's heart…my clairvoyance has allowed me to predict the flow of battle immaculately. I usually need not issue commands verbally to my Pokémon, for we are connected with my Psychic power…"

"He's a psychic!?" Kasumi's eyes widened in admiration. "That's so cool! Don't you think so, Wes!?"

"…Peh." Wes scoffed. "I could care less. Just focus on the battle. Aromatherapy." Meganium let out a soft cry before its body shone brightly, ridding itself of the burning status effect that plagued its body.

"But…" Kasumi was so excited to talk about it. She should've figured Wes only had a one track mind…

"Your inability to work with others will cause your downfall." Scott spoke directly at Wes, who shrugged off the comment. "Manectric, Thunder Fang on Meganium! Chandelure, Shadow Ball!"

"Focus Punch!" Kasumi shot back.

"Energy Ball!" Wes ordered.

Manectric's maw was coated in lightning that took the shape of two large electrical fangs while Magmortar gathered all of its focus into one fist! Just as Manectric leapt forward to bite at Magmortar, the fire type swung! And to Kasumi's surprise, Manectric evaded at the last second and bit down on Magmortar's extended arm, causing electricity to course through its body! "Ah...! Magmortar!"

As for Meganium and Chandelure, their two spheres collided and exploded right in front of them, causing them to slide backwards. "Tch…" Wes grunted, having to silently admit that Scott was a good trainer. It was also slightly annoying that he HAD to work with someone else…but as stated, he was never any good at playing nice with others so he operated on his own.

Kasumi had to think of something quick. At this rate Magmortar was going to go down…Ah! She got an idea! "Solar Beam!" Bringing forth its free arm, Magmortar blasted yet another beam of solar energy point blank at Manectric! The impact was more than enough to force the electric type off of Magmortar and into Chandelure.

"Petal Dance!" Meganium unleashed another powerful twister of petals. This one consumed the stunned Manectric and Chandelure, causing them to fly backwards until they were at Scott's side once again, damaged from the two consecutive attacks.

"They got some nice damage in!" Serena cheered.

"Nice one!" Kasumi turned to Wes for a high five, but he kept his gaze ahead and didn't even bother to give the blonde female beside him a second look. "…" Focusing back on the battle, Kasumi knew it was far from over yet.

"Impressive." Scott admitted as his two pokemon recovered. "Kasumi, was it? Very intuitive thinking. Wes…you should play nice."

"I don't do orders." Wes spat.

"Well…I suppose it's time to kick this up to the appropriate notch…" The necklace around Scott's neck began to shine brightly, resonating with Manectric's Mega Stone. "Respond to my heart…and surpass evolution!" A bright slight shone around Manectric and a tiny sphere appeared around it; when that sphere exploded, Manetric was shown in its mega form!

"Oh! And Manectric as Mega Evolved! What does this spell for the Kalos duo!?" The host questioned.

"Electric Terrain!" On that command, Manectric filled the entire field with electricity. This shocking development left Kasumi at a loss for words for she hadn't seen this move used before.

"Looks like he's going in for the kill…" Takeba commented while leaning over the railing just above the Kalos group spectating. Of course when they looked up all they saw was her bust and had to adjust their sight properly.

"…Can you give a warning when you randomly decide to show up…?" Grace grumbled.

"I don't mind." Marcus' remark only earned him a thwack to the back of his head by Elizabeth. "Ow…!"

"Meganium, Petal Dance!" Once more, Meganium unleashed a twister of petals that soared towards Mega Manectric and Chandelure.

"Chandelure, Fire Blast!" Chandelure spun around once before releasing a gigantic blast of flame towards the incoming Petal Dance. Petal Dance stood no chance and the leaves were charred to a crisp while making continuous movement towards Meganium. There was no time to issue a command and the blast of flames connected with Meganium for massive damage! The Johto starter slid backwards before coming to a halt, heavily damaged by the super effective blow. "Now Manectric, use Dig!" Manectric then burrowed deep into the ground.

"Oh no, we're not doing that again! Flamethrower into the ground!" Kasumi commanded while pointing to the ground. Magmortar jammed its cannon arm into the ground and prepared to unleash a massive eruption of flames. At the same time…

"Thunderbolt!"

With the power of Electric Terrain, Electric Type moves received a huge boost! So imagine what happened when that boosted lightning met with flames? A spiraling vortex of mother nature's most dangerous weapons that rose from the center of the field high into the air, shaking the very foundation of the entire stadium! When that vortex finally cleared…Manectric and Chandelure were still standing, albeit heavily damaged. As for Meganium and Magmortar…

"Meganium and Magmortar are unable to battle! Therefore, Scott is the winner and advances to round 3!" The referee pointed to Scott.

"WOW!" The host exclaimed. "Team Kalos has taken yet another loss thus far! Was their flawless streak purely luck!?"

"As I thought…" Rui sighed. "Wes always had trouble coordinating with other people in battle…" She lowered her head while staring at Wes. It seems that Kasumi didn't fret too much about her first loss of the tournament; she still had a chance in the final part of round 2 to advance.

"It's no big deal." Wes handled losing pretty well, probably since he figured things would turn out this way because of his own weakness. He acknowledged that Kasumi was trying to communicate with him throughout the battle several times, he just never took those chances because he was a lone wolf.

"The battle went exactly as I predicted…" Scott sounded like he was patting himself on the back for a job well done, but of course praise went to his pokemon almost immediately. "You two preformed excellent as well. I could not have done it without your help."

"I kinda like that guy…" Bonnie said while watching Scott praise his pokemon. "He's really cool! Can we talk to him more, Clemont!?"

"O-oh…I don't see why not…" What an out of the blue request for Clemont to have to accept. But he couldn't turn his cute little sister down.

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Now came for a rather…tough fight. Lore and Kayla stood across from Ein in a rocky field. Ein stood cool and calm, examining his opponents carefully. "So…Kalos Team…I do hope that you will be able to provide me with decent entertainment."

"Ah…" Kayla had a slight sweat drop while staring at the Chiper Admin. Not like she knew he was still an active member, but being in his presence was intimidating.

"The cowls of evil don't frighten the likes of me." Lore said while giving a firm nod. "Now come Kayla, my comrade in arms, let us best this devil and advance onward!"

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Next Time: Scientific Lesson.


	29. Chapter 29: Scientific Lesson

"Come now…don't be so frightened." Ein chuckled quietly at Kayla and Lore. "Does my presence strike fear into you? Heheh…."

"I fear nothing." Lore spoke confidently. "Not even a denizen of the darkness such as myself would dare quake in fear that the mere mention of your name."

"What…?" Despite his shades one could see that Ein was clearly confused by the words that came from Lore's mouth. That aside, he pulled out two pokeballs and tossed them up, calling forth his Lanturn and Alakazam, which had an anklet attached to its right leg, holding a Mega Stone on it. "No matter…I shall settle this matter quickly."

"As if!" Kayla tossed a pokeball forward, calling out her Togekiss. "Togekiss, I choose you!"

"Sceptile, it is time for battle!" Lore tossed out a pokeball to call out his Sceptile, both of them posing quite awkwardly once summoned.

"Well…It's Ein, captain of Johto vs. Kalos' Lore and Kayla! Which way will this battle go!?" The host asked.

"Battle…BEGIN!" The referee threw down his hand to signify the beginning of the battle.

"Sceptile, Bullet Seed on Lanturn!" Lore commanded. Sceptile opened its mouth, releasing a flurry of seeds in Lanturn's direction, looking for super effective damage off the bat.

"Togekiss, Water Pulse on Alazakam!" Togekiss gathered water in front of its mouth in the shape of a sphere; once it gathered enough energy it shot the sphere directly towards the Psychic type.

"Hm…" Ein slightly adjusted his glasses. "I see…very well then. Lanturn, Thunderbolt. Alakzam, Shadow Ball." Lanturn fired off a thin beam of lightning towards the incoming Water Pulse, cutting it off completely and breaking through to strike Togekiss; Alakazam unleashed a glob of shadows that collided with the Bullet Seed and caused an explosion on the spot.

"Togekiss!" Kayla showed some concern for her pokemon, but it seemed to be fine after taking the Charge Beam. Lanturn's body shone briefly to signify that its Special Attack went up after using Charge Beam. "Ah…"

"This is going to be tough…" Lore admitted.

"Ein was a very annoying opponent…" Rui let out a heavy sigh, recalling Wes' battle long ago in the Chiper Lab. "All of them were, now that I think about it…"

"What's his battle plan…?" Ash questioned.

"You're about to find out." Wes spoke quickly, as though he were telling Ash to shush.

"Lanturn, Rain Dance." Ein lifted his hand up slowly. Lanturn let out a small cry and dark gray clouds slowly started to form above the arena, creating a somewhat vicious downpour on the battlefield. "Now…Thunder." With the rain up, Thunder was always guaranteed to hit its target! From the clouds above, a powerful bolt of lightning dropped down on Togekiss for massive damage!

"Ah…!" Kayla's eyes widened and Togekiss fell to the ground, panting heavily after taking that damage.

"Now, Alakazam, Psybeam." Ein was relentless in his assault. Alakazam pointed its spoons forward, unleashing a rainbow beam of kinetic energy towards the downed Togekiss.

"Leaf Blade!" Sceptile rushed forward with an emerald blade protruded from its forearm. Quickly stepping in front of Togekiss, the grass type slashed through the Psybeam. "Frenzy Plant!" Sceptile roared before planting its hands on the rugged ground, causing it to tremble before gigantic vines suddenly rose from the ground in large numbers, aiming to constrict and squeeze its two targets.

The vines proved troublesome to maneuver around in for Alakazam and Lanturn. Ein merely grinned at this and chuckled quietly. "I see…this will be a great chance to test out Mega Evolution then. Alakazam…surpass evolution!" Ein brought his hand up to his shades, pressing the Mega Stone on the side of them. A bright light shone from within the mass of vines and several kinetic beams shot forth, completely blowing through them. Mega Alakazam was here and it managed to keep Lanturn safe.

"No way! Alakazam has Mega Evolved!" The host exclaimed excitedly.

"This just keeps getting better doesn't it?!" Kayla was very annoyed but wasn't about to give up yet. "Togekiss, Steel Wing!" Togekiss flew forward with its wings shining brightly, aiming to slam right into Alakazam.

"Psybeam." Ein's voice didn't hold so much care now. The multiple spoons floating around Alakazam spun around before unleashing rapid fire beams of kinetic energy towards Togekiss that it had to dodge before slamming into Alakazam, managing to knock it backwards. "Hm…"

"Sceptile, Dragon Claw!" Sceptile lunged at Lanturn, clawing at it with its draconic claw to send it flying backwards into Alakazam. "This isn't so bad!" Though, once they saw how damaged Lanturn and Alakazam were from their attacks, which was not very, that confident expression soon faded. "Oh…"

"It doesn't look like they've done much damage at all…!" Kasumi's voice was filled with shock. "Even after all those hits…"

"That was a nice little warm up…but I suppose it's time to bring this to an end now. "Lanturn, Thunder!" Once again, Lanturn dropped a powerful bolt of electricity down towards Sceptile…only that was not the intended target. The target was the ground, which quickly became a high voltage danger zone with no safe spot to stand in!

"Hop on…!" Kayla instructed Sceptile to hop onto Togekiss' back and it did just that as the fairy flew into the air, safe from the electrical ground. "Any ideas…?"

"Get Sceptile to that Lanturn." Lore nodded slowly.

"You heard him, Togekiss! Go!" Togekiss dove down towards Laturn.

"Charge Beam!" Laturn released several rapid fire beams of electricity, its Special Attack continuously rising with each shot. Though it missed and Togekiss grew closer and closer…

"Now, Leaf Blade!" Hopping off of Togekiss' back, Sceptile formed two emerald blades from its forearms, diving towards Lanturn. In the next instant it slashed the water type while sliding past it, coming to a halt. Lanturn fell over with swirls in its eyes to signify its KO.

"Laturn is unable to battle!" The ref called out. Just as Lanturn fainted, the rain started to disperse.

"They might have a chance!" Rui grinned.

Ein returned Lanturn without a word before shrugging his shoulders. "Impressive teamwork…" The scientist admitted. "But you won't be defeating Alakazam. Focus Blast!" Alakzam unleashed not one…but TWO Focus Blast in rapid succession. Both of them striking Sceptile and Togekiss before either trainer could issue a command for them.

"Sceptile!"

"Togekiss!"

"Now, let's bring this little battle to an end. Psybeam." The multiple spoons floating around Alakazam began to spin in a clockwise motion before multiple beams shot forth once again. Only this time the beams converged and turned into a giant rainbow beam that rushed towards Sceptile and Togekiss. This enlarged Psybeam was a direct hit and a large explosion occurred on contact…when the smoke from the explosion cleared, Togekiss and Sceptile were defeated.

"Togekiss and Sceptile are unable to battle! Therefore, Ein is the winner and both Kayla and Lore are eliminated from the tournament! Ein also advances to round three!" The refree exclaimed and the crowd went wild from such a great battle.

"Agh…" Lore let out a heavy sigh. "It seems we were overwhelmed in the end…despite that, fantastic job Sceptile." Lore then returned Sceptile as Kayla did Togekiss.

"I hope you enjoyed that little lesson. I am far beyond your league…" Ein chuckled quietly, pleased with the results as he began to walk off.

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Next Time: Girl Power!


	30. Chapter 30: Girl Power!

"Looks like we're out…sorry guys…" Kayla slumped over in her seat, depressed blue lines wavering around her head. "I tried my best…but Ein was really strong…"

"He was a former Chiper Admin…I didn't expect you to have a walk in the part with him." Wes merely shrugged. "You put up a formidable fight at the very least."

"For some reason your words don't sound very sincere…" Kayla muttered.

"Alas…we've done all we could. The rest is in the hands of you six now," Lore shrugged oh so causally. The loss didn't bother him so much as it did Kayla.

"That's quite all right." Cynthia nodded slowly. "Since you two are in the tournament anymore…would you like to assist me in my Chiper investigation? I'm positive they're lurking round here somewhere, it's difficult to track them down in such a large crowd, however."

"Sure!" Kayla perked up at that offer. "Anything to help!"

"That sure fixed her mood…" Serena chuckled a little bit.

"I want to help….." Elizabeth's voice trailed off as she stared at Cynthia. Oh, how wondrous it would be to assist the Sinnoh champion in such an investigation…!

Grace nudged Elizabeth with her shoulder, giving a slight glare. "You better not be thinking about losing just to go with Cynthia."

Hearing those words, Elizabeth frantically waved her hands with a nervous smile. "N-No…! Of course not…! I would never….." Wow, Grace saw right through her. Guess there was no throwing the match now lest she wanted to incur the brunette's wrath. "A-Anyway…we're after Ash and Marcus…!"

Speaking of those two, they were doing quite well for themselves! Greninja and Gallade were against Infernape and Scizor from two opposing trainers. Marcus and Ash made quite the team and the stadium bore witness to this now! "Infernape, use Flamethrower!" One side of the opposition shouted. Infernape sucked in a deep breath before releasing a large, widespread stream of flame towards Greninja and Gallade.

"Gallade, Water Shuriken!" Greninja placed its webbed hands on its thighs, creating two small shurikens of water and hurled them towards the incoming Flamethrower. The opposing elements of water and fire ended as it always did; in a large cloud of steam that covered the entire battlefield.

"Now…Scizor, use Metal Claw on Greninja!" Using the smoke as cover, the enemy Scizor spread its wings to briefly fly forward, rushing towards Greninja's estimated location. As the steam cleared…Gallade was now standing in its path. "Huh?!"

"Gallade, Night Slash!" Like an expert swordsmen unsheathing their blade, Gallade quickly brought its bladed arm forward and beat Scizor to the draw. A purple hue shrouded its arm and it slashed Scizor's chest, sending it flying backward.

"Infernape, Quick Attack!" The opposing Infernape quickly darted along the battlefield, preparing to strike Gallade as it recovered from striking Sizcor!

"Aerial Ace!" Greninja used its surprising speed to intercept Infernape, its fists glowing brightly as it collided with Infernape's chest. The primate grunted before sliding back slightly, firing back immediately by punching Greninja's chest in return.

"Flash Cannon!" Scizor opened up its claw, unleashing a beam of metallic energy towards Greninja and Gallade. It was a direct hit and both pokemon were sent backwards slightly.

"You good?" Marcus asked Gallade, which responded to him with a nod.

"Greninja?" Ash questioned and didn't even need an answer for Greninja stood right back up like nothing. "Hey, you ready?" The trainer turned to his partner, who gave a nod. "Great. Greninja, use Double Team!" Greninja and Gallade nodded before fist bumping each other; a second after that, multiple copies of both pokemon appeared on their side of the field.

"Whoa…! I didn't know you could use Double Team like that…!" Serena's eyes lit up. "When did they find the time to come up with that plot!?"

"Rush forward!" The copies of Greninja and Gallade rushed forward and with so many of them on the field it was difficult to determine which pair was the real deal!

"Silver Wind!"

"Flamethrower!"

Infernape and Scizor released a consecutive combination of flames and wind towards the multiple copies of Gallade and Greninja. They succeeded in taking out the fakes…but the clouds of smoke that spawned from their defeat brought up the real question: where were they now!?

"Water Shuriken!"

"Psycho Cut!"

From the smoke, the real Gallade and Greninja emerged. Greninja hurled Water Shurikens while Gallade unleashed a kinetic blade towards the opposing duo! There was no time for them to even react and both attacks collided against them. It wasn't too long before the result of the battle was clear: "Infernape and Scizor are unable to battle! Therefore, Ash and Marcus are the winners and advance to round 3!"

"Nice!" Ash and Marcus shared a high five before doing the same to their pokemon.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Elizabeth nodded slowly before turning to Grace. "Looks like we'll have to show them up, huh?"

"Can't let them think they're the top Growlithes around here." Grace nodded.

.

"It's time for the last tag battle of round 2!" The Host exclaimed, however Venus soon took over the mic.

"And Lady Venus is going to take over! On the Kalos side, we have the top 2 from the preliminary tournament: Grace, the winner and top seed of Kalos! Annnd…her number 2, Elizabeth! Honestly, both could use a fashion change…I mean seriously, what's up with that blue hair? It's so out of style these days…"

"EXCUSE ME!?" Elizabeth shouted at Venus, but clearly she was being ignored.

"Annnnyway!" Venus smiled at knowing she got under Elizabeth's skin. "I do wish our, not as lovely as me, ladies some good luck!"

"She's the queen of throwing shade…" Grace said with a small sweat drop. "Venusaur, let's go!" Grace's partner of choice was her usual go to! Venusuar planted its feet firmly into the ground and let out a roar.

"Tell me about it…" With a heavy sigh, Elizabeth tossed out a pokeball to call forth her trusted Zoroark. No tricks, just straight forward business! "Oh well…let's get this over with. I want to go to round 3?"

"I hear ya." Grace nodded in agreement. Their opponents hailed from Kanto and had Flareon and Gengar and looked to be a pair of insufferable twins.

"Let the battle begin!" The referee stated as per usual.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball on Venusaur!"

"Flareon, Quick Attack on Zoroark!"

"Huh…déjà vu…" Grace shrugged her shoulders before issuing her first command. "Venusaur, Razor Leaf!" Venusaur let out a roar before rustling the bulb on its back before releasing several razor sharp leaves towards the Shadow Ball. Venusaur was just as strong as before, if not stronger, so the leaves sliced through the Shadow Ball like butter and struck Gengar, leaving that one trainer surprised.

"Zoroark, Night Slash!" Darkness coated the master of illusion's claws. Once Flareon sprinted forward to strike, Zoroark swung downward for a vertical slash! The two collided before sliding backwards a few feet.

"Flame Burst!" Flareon didn't skip a beat, releasing a moderately sized pillar of flame from its mouth at Zoroark. It was a direct hit and the flames exploded on impact; scattering to Venusaur as well for some damage.

"Not too shabby…" Grace admitted.

"Gengar, Focus Blast!" Gengar reared its arm back, gathering a yellow sphere within its grasp. In the next instant it hurled said sphere towards Venusaur, deciding that the grass type was the most dangerous thing on the field at the moment. Especially considering that Grace was the top seed in Kalos; she needed to go.

"Flareon, Overheat!" Flareon planted its feet firmly into the ground before gathering all of the heat energy it could. Once it had enough it released it in the form of a gigantic beam of flame that soared alongside Focus Blast. Surely even Venusaur wouldn't come from dual attacks like this unscathed…if Grace would even allow that.

"Way to single a girl out…." Making light of the situation, Grace let out an over exasperated sigh. "Petal Blizzard!" Venusaur bellowed out before a whirlwind of pink petals surrounded its entire body. The grass type sent this vortex forward to clash with both Focus Blast and Overheat where the three attacks exploded violently, creating a massive cloud of smoke center field.

There was a moment of heavy silence before Elizabeth's voice could be heard from the other side of the smoke. "Shadow Claw!" Rushing forward, a claw of darkness formed around Zoroark's arm and it quickly maneuver through the smoke until it was in front of an unsuspecting Gengar, where a fierce slash was delivered for super effective damage. Gengar let out a cry of pain before bouncing backwards.

"There it is! Focus Blast!" Retaliating quickly, Gengar fired a Focus Blast that struck Zoroark in the chest. The ensuring explosion sent the dark type tumbling backwards before coming to a halt, moderately injured from such a strike. The smoke slowly began to clear and Flareon was nowhere to be seen…and Venusaur just finished gathering solar energy from the bright sun above.

"Solar Beam!" Venusaur pointed its bulb forward, releasing the solar energy it gathered in the form of a massive beam of light that soared towards Gengar.

"Protect!" Pushing its arms out, Gengar created a shield that protected against nearly every attack without fail. Solar Beam was no exception despite how strong Venusaur was and it only left Grace feeling exceptionally annoyed since she felt the inevitable was only being delayed.

"Say…where'd that Flareon go…?" Elizabeth muttered. A question asked too late as the ground under Venusaur shattered and a massive pillar of flame rose, consuming the grass type before either trainer could issue a command! "Ah…!"

"Oh dear…" Grace's eyes widened slightly from the tactic. When the smoke cleared Venusaur was…lying on the ground defeated!?

"Did I do it!?" There was potential excitement going around as Venusaur didn't move! Did this no name really do the impossible!?

"Nah." Elizabeth quickly shot that down. A sly grin stretched onto her lips as Zoroark undid its powers of illusion. The Venusaur that was there…was never there in the first place! So where was the real Venusaur!?

"Oh no, it's fine." Grace pointed to the sky, where Venusaur was high above the ground with its bulb pointed down at the field, once again filled with solar power from the sun. "Once more! Solar Beam!" Just like she did against Marcus in the semi-finals of the preliminaries, Venusaur unleashed a beam from the air down towards the opposition!

"Night Daze!" Zoroark gathered darkness within its palms and instead of shooting it towards the two opponents, it went to the incoming Solar Beam. Light merging with Darkness; the two attacks briefly combined with one another in the center of the stadium before exploding violently! If it wasn't a friend caught within the blast, then their run was as good as doomed! The audience had to shield their eyes from the fierce winds kicked up from the ensuing explosion. Venusaur landed beside Zoroark and the two girls just waited for the results of their joint attack.

When the smoke cleared….

"Flareon and Gengar are unable to battle! Therefore, Grace and Elizabeth are the winners and advance to round 3!" The referee exclaimed.

"We had that in the bag!" Grace and Elizabeth gave each other a victorious high five after the results were annoyed.

"They didn't stand a chance against our girl power." Elizabeth gave a firm nod, a slight grin forming on her lips.

"Wow, those two make a really good team!" Bonnie clapped her hands together after the battle. "That was really cool!"

"Clearly one of them was doing all the work though…" Lovrina just couldn't let anyone have anything. "But still, kudos to them. That illusion trick was pretty crafty; I wonder who came up with that…."

"That's Grace for you." Marcus shrugged. "No surprise those two were gonna win, being top seeds and all."

"Very impressive! I like it!" Takeba hummed joyously. "You Kalos folk are pretty strong…er, well, you're not exactly from Kalos I know…"

"Why are you still here?" Lovrina blinked while staring at Takeba. "I can't even see your eyes from behind your chest at this angle…are you doing this on purpose?"

"That's rude…!" Serena scolded Lovrina. While it wasn't exactly a false statement…it was still rude nonetheless, so Lovrina merely shrugged it off.

Taking the mic again, Venus spoke out to everyone. "What a fantastic battle that was! Though it wasn't something that could compare to my elegance…I'd give it a bronze medal at best."

"At best?! How about I come up there and show you my best straight right…!?" Elizabeth was really getting tired of this woman.

"N-Now now…." Grace had to restrain Elizabeth from acting on these aggressive thoughts.

Whether or not Venus heard Elizabeth or not, she continued. "At this time I would like to ask those who still have one more double battle left to prepare. For those who have already advanced to round 3, you can leave."

"That would be me…" Kasumi let out a heavy sigh, giving a slight glare at Wes. "Since you know, someone can't play nice…"

"It's better this way," Wes didn't even give Kasumi a second glance and started to head off.

"Oh…I'll come too! I still have one left!" Takeba just followed behind Kasumi and Wes without their consent.

"Looks like it's time to head out then…I'm sure we can watch the rest from the TV at the center." Marcus yawned. "I'm getting tired anyhow…"

.

.

Next Time: Intermission.


	31. Chapter 31: Intermission

Round 2 was over and night fell. Wes once again vanished from the group to head to the Chiper HQ, though it wasn't like he told anyone where he was going just like las time. Only this time he didn't have a plot for Chiper to attack while he was away. Wes made his way to the tube where Mewtwo was still captive, grinning at the progress being made. "I see you've become more inclined to sit tight and do as you're told…"

Mewtwo had been injected with Shadow Power, though it was doing its best to resist the efforts made on it. It was unable to do much within the tube that imprisoned it, so the best it could do was glare at Wes.

"You…wretched human…" Mewtwo growled.

"Not the first time I've heard such words." Wes shrugged. Soon, Nascour came into the room to observe. "You are not the only Legendary I've targeted…there is another closely related to you that I am after…and I know not how to draw it out without baiting it in. It's also part of my grand scheme, you see…"

"You've always had a roundabout way of going about things…whether to oppose or aid us…" Nascour closed his eyes and shook his head. "But if not for your motives this wouldn't be happening now as we speak."

"I'm glad you see things my way…" Wes chuckled quietly to himself. "The time to act hasn't come quite yet…Sinnoh's Champion is digging her nose in our business. So now we have to keep an eye on her…"

"I wouldn't worry so much about her. I already have a plan in mind to keep her busy." Nascour seemed to already have this little issue before them covered. "Just leave her to me."

"Very well…" Wes nodded and started to walk off. "Everything is starting to come together perfectly…" Well…as he said that Venus overdramatically leaned against the wall and let out the most exasperated sigh anyone on earth probably heard.

"Aahhhhhhhhhh…"

"….." Wes wasn't even going to bother with it. He just kept walking and that seemed to irriate Venus enough to get her to respond on her own volition.

"Oh Venus, what's wrong you ask?!" Responding for Wes, she pretty much explained what had her so bothered. "That little spy of ours thinks she's all that just because she's the toughest trainer in the tournament! So she thinks she has the nerve to boss ME around!? Me, Lady Venus!? The audacity, right!? I don't take orders from anyone!"

Cue Wes using Glare.

"…Excluding you, of course." Clearing her throat, Venus resumed her rant. "That aside! My little test worked just fine earlier, didn't you see?"

"How Kasumi reacted to that pressure from the crowd?"

"Yes!" Venus clapped her hands together. "As I thought from before…whenever she's under extreme pressure and negative emotion, that's what draws out her power. Another push like that and maybe she'll do something she'll regret… If I can expose her once again perhaps I'll be able to bend that other girl to my will just a little more…"

"You can't just monopolize her like that…" Wes sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Wanna bet?" There was a mischievous grin on Venus's lips. "I've already come up with a plan…I'm going to have a little fun with that girl and make her regret ever defying me…"

.

.

"Great job today everyone!" Serena passed out plates of food to everyone present. Everyone excluding Wes (obviously), Kayla, Cynthia, and Lore were around as those three were investigating Chiper activity. "All of those battles were really intense!"

"I'm just glad I got to make to round 3 after Wes not working with me…" Kasumi let out an extremely heavy sigh, poking at her food with her fork. "What do you see in that guy, Rui? He's totally uncooperative!"

"Aheh…" Rui chuckled nervously. "Well…back in Orre he saved me from getting kidnapped once…"

"He's still very shady. I don't trust him…" Elizabeth would drive this point home as many times as she could. "He's not even here right now!? Where does he vanish off to when these rounds are over anyway…"

"Who knows." Lovrina shrugged before digging into her food. "This is some good stuff…sticking around was definitely a good idea."

"I still wonder why you're here, too…" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at Lovrina but there was no real reason for her to be casting any suspicion on the pinkette…she just wanted to be that girl.

"Let's all get along." Serena laughed nervously. It wasn't just to the girls, but also to Clemonet's Chespin and her own Pancham that could never seem to get along, especially when food was involved!

"I'm excited for round 3!" Ash spoke between bites of his food. "This last round was so much fun! Double battles are really exciting."

"Those combos pulled off were really impressive!" Clemont said while adjusting his glasses. "You and Marcus, and Grace and Elizabeth. When did you find the time to come up with those combinations?"

"Eh? We just went with it." Marcus responded with his fork stuck in his mouth.

"Yeah, that's all. We didn't talk about it beforehand." Ash also added to this statement…and for some reason everyone's expressions just kind of fell at this information.

"Why am I not surprised…" Serena said with a nervous chuckle.

"You two are so alike it's scary…" Grace shook her head.

"We're alike?" Both trainers tilted their head in a similar manner…did they really not see it? Or were they only pretending not to notice? There was no way to tell either way, unfortunately.

Moments later, Takeba came through the Pokémon Center doors, chest bouncing all around as she took prideful strides in her steps. Behind her was Scott, whose entrance was nowhere near obnoxious and just walked in silently. "Hello Kalos Crew! How are we doing today!?"

"It's her again…" Lovrina grumbled. She was clearly jealous over something.

"So, it looks like all of us are advancing, hmmm?" Leaning over the table…well, there really shouldn't have to be an explanation for what happened next with a woman as busty as her. Takeba smiled to the others before standing up. "Round 3 is sure to be entertaining! You guys are all pretty tough."

"I have a bad omen about round 3 that I wish to share…" Scott would be that ominous, silent type. Still, he succeeded in grabbing everyone's attention. "One of you will be fighting Lady Venus…" That sentence alone was enough to cause everyone to tense up.

"Eh…she's really strong, that's for sure…" Ash admitted. "But I don't like the way she runs battles…not even giving the other person a fair shot!"

"It's quite deplorable…" Clemont sighed. "Surely there must be a way to battle against her…."

"We'll find a way!" Rui pumped a fist into the air. "And maybe we can bring her in for questioning too…there's no way she's not affiliated with Chiper with the way she's been acting. Now that I think about it…I should be going with Cynthia and the others to track down Shadow Pokémon. It's a little too late now…"

"Don't worry about it." Grace shrugged before standing up. "Anyway…I'm gonna go get some fresh air. I'll see you all when it's time to head out." Without saying another word, Grace went outside, though Kasumi quickly finished her food to follow behind her.

.

"Grace wait…!" Kasumi caught up to Grace outside, panting softly once she did. "I…I need to talk to you for a second…!"

"Huh…?" Grace turned quirking a brow at the exhausted Kasumi. "What's up…?"

"I saw you talking with Wes earlier…what was that all about…?" Kasumi asked. "You looked so serious and mean…I've never seen you look like that before…"

"You saw that…" Grace bit her lip before turning away slightly. "I…I can't really say what it is. But I'm doing something really important…Wes is…assisting me in this matter. I'm sorry…I can't say anything else…"

Kasumi frowned at that halfhearted answer. She could sense the honesty behind Grace's words but was upset she couldn't get any more information than that. Still…that frown turned into a smile and she patted Grace on the shoulder. "Okay…I'll accept that answer. I can tell how important this is to you…even if I don't know what it is….I believe in you. I'm sure Marcus does too…you know the three of us are all a unit, right? So you can talk to him if you can't talk to me. That's what friends are for right?"

"Yeah…" Grace nodded slowly before starting to walk off once again. "Thanks, Kasumi…I'll do everything I can to ensure I achieve my goal. No matter what happens…" Unfortunately for Kasumi…she was out of earshot. If she heard that last sentence, perhaps things would've turned out differently in the near future….

.

Late night. Lovrina was up, giving yet another report to Ein about everything that occurred within the day. Immediately after she finished her call, Serena lazily stumbled into the main hall of the Center. "Lovrina…? You're up late again…?"

"Ah…you again? Don't you ever sleep?" Lovrina 'tsked' quietly.

"I could ask the same of you…" Serena yawned. "What's up…? You seem troubled. You can talk to me, we're friends right?"

"Huh?" Lovrina tilted her head curiously at Serena's words. "How'd you come to that conclusion so quickly? We haven't even known each other for longer than a few days…"

"So?" Serena responded with her own curiosity. "It doesn't matter how long or short you've been with someone. That still makes them your friend…you've fought with us, you hang around for dinner and even sleep with us, so…?"

This was weird. Lovrina had little to no idea how to react to Serena's words. Did she really have a friend…? "Er…I'm just doing an important job…and it's really stressful considering my associates…I've been swamped lately I hardly have time to do anything I want to…"

"I see…" Serena nodded slowly. "So you just want to be a normal girl, is it…? Even if for a little bit? Oh, I got it! You should hang out with Kasumi, Grace, Elizabeth, Rui and I for a shopping trip! It'll be a great way to bond!"

"Normal…?" Lovrina pondered that thought. The next thing she knew, Serena was just giving her a smile. Serena's smile had some strange power because even Lovrina found herself smiling slightly before realizing. "H-Hey, wait a second! Don't look at me like that! It's annoyingly contagious…"

"Huh…?" Blinking slowly, Serena took a step back. "I'm sorry…?"

"It's…fine…" Lovrina rubbed the back of her head. "Anyway…I'm going to sleep now…you better too. We really have to stop meeting like this…" With another sigh, Lovrina went off to her room.

"She's a strange one…" Serena turned and ended up running into Kasumi, both of them landing on their rears. "oof!"

"Ouch…!" Kasumi rubbed her back before staring at Serena. "Oh, sorry…! I wasn't looking where I was going…I'm kinda nocturnal at times…" Both females stood up. "I've been thinking a lot, you see…"

"About…?" Serena was offering a lending ear.

"About this whole Shadow Trainer business…I'm a little scared about it." Kasumi admitted. "There's some weird power in me that I can't control and if it gets loose again I could really hurt someone like I did before…"

"Do you know what triggers it…?" Serena questioned.

"I just know it happens when I get too excited for my own good…or when I get really upset. Like when Venus got the crowd against me…I could feel it bubbling up and I probably would've lost it if Grace didn't step in…and it also hurts me too. If it happens again who knows how badly I'll be…"

Serena got that Kasumi was very concerned for her wellbeing and the others. "So when you get angry it happens…perhaps you could try controlling your anger or something to that effect? Just think of the things that make you happy and maybe that will suppress it…?"

"Suppress…?" Kasumi had to think about it. "I'll sleep on it and see what I can do…thanks, Serena…"

"No problem." And there was that smile of Serena's again. "Let's get some rest now, shall we?"

.

.

Next Time: Round 3 Begins. The Omen in Motion!


	32. Chapter 32: The Omen in Motion

"Goooood morning everyone! It is now time for round 3!" The host exclaimed as a greeting to the audience. "We've got many exciting matches ready for you today!"

And of course, the Host's mic was snatched from him by none other than Lady Venus. Of course the crowd would've much rather heard Venus speak more than the host at this point. "Hello everyone! It's your Venus! Everyone's Venus!" Venus waved to the crowd and the reaction was the same as the day before; they went wild. "Today for you, we have the usual single battles! I hope you're all ready for some fantastic battles, though not as fantastic as I!"

"I'm getting really sick of her…" Elizabeth sighed heavily while leaning against the railing. She then turned to Grace with a frown. "You should've let me punch her yesterday."

"I'm not letting anyone do anything of the sort." Grace responded while placing her hands on her hips. "I'm still the captain of this team, so it's my responsibility to ensure that everyone stays safe. I know it's not exactly in the description when we started but…."

"Hey hey, what did we talk about last night?" Kasumi narrowed her eyes. "Don't go trying to do everything by yourself like you always do! We have to take responsibility for you too, you know. So don't go being an idiot."

"What she said." Marcus nodded in agreement.

"…." With nothing to say, Grace merely turned away to focus back on Venus. She still had Scott's little premonition in her head how someone from her team would clash against Venus.

"I can't wait. We're getting closer to the end." Ash pumped a fist before turning to Cynthia. "What are you going to do?"

"We're going to use this time to investigate any suspicious activity around here." Cynthia confirmed. "Although there is something that's bothering…the numbers seem off for this round…if it were to be conducted properly, there should be 16 people, not 12…"

Right as Cynthia mentioned it, Venus was about to bring it up. "Oh, and I'm sure you're wondering about the numbers. Don't worry; I've brought in some rather capable people to even things out! Hopefully this won't pose any problems? No, perfect!"

"…Well, there's that answer." Kayla sighed. "She's really just enjoying pulling the strings to this thing."

"They might be Chiper Peons." Rui narrowed her eyes. "If so, Shadow Pokémon might be around!"

"So you stay here." Cynthia said while standing up from her seat, gesturing for Lore and Kayla to follow her as she started to walk off. "We'll go investigate inside and outside to see if there's anything noteworthy."

"Good luck." Clemont gave a slight wave.

"Now without further ado…let us begin!" Venus waved her hand, activating the screen that showed the match ups. The first matchup of the day was surprisingly Takeba, who showed no fear going into her bout. "Oh! Kanto's leader is up to fight first? I wonder how she walks with those gigantic balloons stuffed in her shirt."

That comment was far too much to not get a remark. "ExCUSE me!? I can walk just fine thank you!" Takeba huffed, rather infuriated from that comment. A nerve was definitely struck.

"Oh…you'd think that chest would just deflect all comments!" Venus had a laugh, and the audience did too. At the very least she wasn't being disrespectful to just the Kalos crew, but it was an issue that couldn't be addressed just yet.

"Man…she's really a witch isn't she…?" Serena frowned.

"You're telling me…" Lovrina sighed heavily while shaking her head. "I mean…she's not exactly wrong tho-" And she got that glare again from Serena, so she just elected to stay quiet.

"Hmph…" Dusting her skirt off, Takeba stood across from her opponent with a glare. "I guess you're one of those filler spots…I do hope you're at least somewhat challenging! Because I want to rub it in Venus' face how terrible her selection is! Now then…" Tossing a pokeball into the air, Takeba called out her partner of choice: Blastoise! This Blastoise had a large plate attached to its back with a Mega Stone securely placed in it. "Blastoise, let's have some fun!"

"Mannn…" Takeba's opponent was none other than Naps, Lovrina's brother. Of course she didn't know this fact, and Lovrina was resisting the urge to laugh…while Naps was just not looking forward to this whatsoever. Naps let out a heavy sigh, knowing he'd never hear the end of this from Lovrina, and Venus would kill him if he didn't do his best. "Weezing, let's try…!" Not a very convincing battle cry, but he wasn't very convinced he could do this either.

"Blastoise, Water Pulse! On the double!" Blastoise pointed the two cannons on its back forward, releasing two spheres of water in rapid succession towards Weezing. Both hits were direct and small explosions occurred as Weezing was forced back from Blastoise's strength. "Excellent work!"

"H-Hey! Weezing quick, use Poison Gas!" Weezing shook off the impact of the dual Water Pulse and exhaled, creating a thick violet fog that slowly inched its way towards Blastoise. Any contact with this gas resorted in poisoning.

"Rapid Spin!" Blastoise tucked itself away in its thick shell, spinning in a clockwise rotation. After gathering enough speed, Blastoise's rotation was enough to draw in the Poison Gas without affecting it. Seconds later the gas dispersed and Blastoise just kept on spinning, slamming into Weezing at full force to send it flying into the wall in KO.

"Weezing is unable to battle! Blastoise wins!" The referee exclaimed.

"Wow, that Blastoise looks really tough!" Ash's eyes gleamed in excitement at the mere thought of getting to face a strong opponent such as Takeba.

"And she didn't use it during our double battle? That stings." Marcus muttered. "She's not bad though…"

"She does fit the role of captain fairly well…" Clemont nodded.

"AHA!" Lovrina started laughing. It was at Naps' shoddy attempt to battle since she could tell he really didn't want to; however nobody else could really tell what tickled her funny bone so much. So she just got some strange looks in the meantime.

.

Meanwhile, Cynthia, Kayla, and Lore explored the hallways of the stadium. The battles were displayed on a monitor on the corridor and they'd occasionally steal a glance to see what was going on, otherwise they were just focused on their mission. "See anything yet?"

"No evil is within my sights…" Lore responded.

"Nothing here." Kayla reported. "We haven't been getting any results so far…I would start to doubt if Chiper was really around had they not attacked us already. What do we do?"

"We shall continue to search! Evil does not hide in the shadows forever." Lore sounded very convinced on this assumption.

"Hmm…" Cynthia placed her hands on her hips. So far their efforts were fruitless. "There must be something here that can be of use." Glancing around once more, she caught something black rounding a corner. "Huh…?"

"I saw something…!" Kayla pointed to the corner on the opposite side of the hallway.

"As did I. You two, go down there. I'll follow what I saw." Cynthia nodded before splitting up with the other two. Cynthia quickly rounded the corner and the second she did her eyes widened immediately, for a glob of darkness was heading in her direction. It was a trap!

.

As for Takeba's battle, she was destroying Naps. She was still on her Blastoise while Naps was down two pokemon and on his final one already; Mightyena. "Oh man…this chick is strong. I can hear Lovrina laughing…" Naps was sweating under his mask, his ears finely tuned to the annoying laughter his elder sister had.

"Let's finish this in style!" Takeba grinned to Blastoise before realizing she was missing something crucial. "Oh…where did I put that thing again…? Oh!" Of course she would have to dig into her chest to pull out a Mega Stone attached to a string. "There we go!"

"See, it's things like that that are making her an easy target!" Lovrina grumbled.

"Why are you so upset…" Wes took a glance in Lovrina's direction before giving a slight shrug.

"Blastoise! Respond to my heart and surpass evolution!" Lifting the mega stone into the air, a bright light started to emerge from the stone between trainer and pokemon. The light encased Blastoise in the form of a shell, and when that shell shattered it was in its Mega form.

"And Takeba Mega Evolves her Blastoise! What a spectacle!" The host had to get some words in before Venus stole his thunder once again.

"Now! Water Pledge!" Bringing her arm down, Takeba mirrored Blastoise's movements. Mega Blastoise punched the ground, causing it to tremble violently. Soon, pillars of water exploded from the ground, all of them moving in a line before encircling that poor Mightyena. Naps was too stunned to even issue a command, so the pillars of water ended up exploding on contact with one another in a vicious geyser.

"Whoa! That's some serious power…!" Ash remarked.

As the water died down, Mightyena was cleanly defeated by Mega Blastoise's Water Pledge. The ref lifted his arm up and pointed to Takeba. "Mightyena is unable to battle, therefore Takeba is the winner and advances to round 4!"

"Too easy." Takeba patted Blastoise on the back as it reverted back to its original form. "How was that, Lady Venus?" Mockingly announcing Venus' name, Takeba smirked up towards the Chiper Admin. "Looks like you don't have good tastes in trainers…or clothing, for that matter."

Oooooh…the crowd started to mumble after hearing that comeback.

"Hmph…" Venus's eyebrow twitched a little bit from Takeba's remark. It was the first time someone spoke against her openly and she didn't have as much control over said person as she liked. "Well audience…how would you rate that battle? Personally, I found Takeba's performance incredibly dull…don't you agree?" And there was Venus's power in action: getting the crowd to agree with her. "Precisely."

"Pfft! I don't need your approval anyway." Sticking her tongue out, the female made her way off the stadium before she got too riled up by Venus's indirect taunts.

"She's got a good temper…" Rui huffed.

"Onto the next battle! This is one that I'm particularly excited for…" Venus chuckled menacingly as she prepared to announce this fight personally. "For the next battle…it will be I, the lovely Lady Venus vs….." She pointed a finger to the Kalos side…directly at Grace. "Kalos' team captain: Grace!"

That announcement was enough to silence the crowd as they recalled how Grace dared to defy Venus the day before. Kalos side seemed shocked as well, however Grace didn't show any emotion as Venus called her out. "…I see. I'm not too terribly surprised she'd do this…"

"You expected this…?" Bonnie asked. There was a worried look on her face along with Dedenne's while Squishy poked its head out only slightly.

"Maybe a little…" Grace shrugged while starting to walk off in preparation for battle. "But that's fine…because now I finally have my opening. Lady Venus isn't going to like what I have to say…"

And the opposite was true. Venus snickered quietly to herself, slowly making way to the field with a sinister grin on her lips. "I'll show you what happens when you defy me, little girl. I'll be more than happy to remind you where it is you stand."

.

.

Next Time: A Harsh Lesson.


	33. Chapter 33: Harsh Lesson

"…!" Cynthia had to quickly throw herself to the side to avoid the blast of darkness that was aimed directly at her. An explosion occurred behind her; however she could only look ahead of her at the Tyranitar that glared at her. She didn't need Rui around to see that this was clearly an active Shadow Pokémon; a strong one at that. "Garchomp." Stoic as ever, she called out Garchomp.

"Very quick. I suppose it would make sense that a champion has some sense of awareness." Nascour clapped slowly, standing slightly behind the Shadow Tyrantiar. "I wonder how long that will keep you safe…? I do wish to test this theory."

"Who are you?" Cynthia questioned. "You must be the head of Chiper…there's no way anyone with a wild hairdo and eyes like that isn't evil." Well, she did hit the nail on the head in some aspects.

"Vice." Nascour corrected. With a wave of his hand, several Chiper Peons appeared behind Cynthia and her Garchomp, all of them calling out ice types and fairy types such as Galie, Degong, Walrein, Aromatisse, Slurpuff, etc.

"It's been a real hassle…" Gorrigan, the one responsible for the production of Shadow Pokémon spoke. This new Chiper Admin only added to the trouble Cynthia was in; she was cornered on both sides in a very narrow hallway; that meant that battling was going to be exceptionally difficult even for her. For example: imagine a slightly wider middle school/high school hallway in terms of length; that was the amount of space she had to work with. "We know you've been digging your nose into our affairs and I must say it's been really impeding our progress…"

"So…you're really involved in these tournament proceedings, then?" Cynthia was on her toes. Until Chiper made the first move, she was going to milk as much information as possible from Nascour…if she could.

"Oh…this wasn't our idea. Venus decided to do that all on her own, and I must say it has proven to be very entertaining." Nascour shook his head, crossing his arms. "We have our sights set on a different goal. It's been rather convenient for us…especially since we have two spies right under your nose…"

"Spies…?" Cynthia didn't think of that possibility. Who could it be…? Everyone checked out when she asked…!

"That girl is a part of our research as well…what a blessing it is that she's landed in our sights once again." Nascour chuckled coldly. "We want to see the full extent of the Shadow Trainer…"

"But she'll die if you…"

"We know." Nascour's twisted grin only widened. "To exceed the limits otherwise impossible…that is what shadow power does to humans and pokemon. To test the limits until their breaking point…that is our research. This Tyranitar is the third strongest pokemon we've created…the strongest is currently in production. It only listens to me because of our Grand Master…but even then it's a machine of death once the command is given. That girl will be the same way. You saw it didn't you? How she almost killed Dakim and his Swampert? That is the power we wish to draw forth."

"It took a lot of effort, just so you know!" Gorrigan was very…loud. Perhaps unnecessary so, but to be honest he was just the human version of Primape with his stature and voice. "The amount of power needed to fully close off the heart of a human is much more than that of a pokemon. So extra measures needed to be taken."

"I've heard enough." Cynthia stood tall, not showing any fear in the face of this danger. "Kasumi is a sweet girl who didn't deserve this fate. I will not allow you to toy with her as though she's some object. Now tell me…who are these spies?" She had to inform the others…if there were really Wurmples within their group, that meant a ton of information had to have been leaked to Chiper already about the investigation…which explained why Cynthia found herself in this situation.

Gorrigan took a glance at Nascour, who nodded. With a grin, Gorrigan cracked his knuckles before gesturing to the screen displaying the feed on the battlefield. Venus and Grace looked as though they were just about to battle. "See that little girl over there? She's been nicely wrapped around our finger for a while now! Her actions have made it exceedingly easy to monitor everything! That's how we knew you were looking into us, but now that's about to change."

"You're quite confident in telling me all this information…" Cynthia didn't enjoy this bit of information…but that did explain why Grace was perhaps the strangest out of all of them when Chiper was brought up.

"Funny…" Nascour mumbled. "The turn of events back then was never what we initially planned. Regardless…we've wasted enough time on information you'll never escape with. Freeze her."

"Blizzard! Fairy Wind!" All at once, the ice types opposing Cynthia exhaled a powerful gust of ice and wind towards Cynthia and her Garchomp. Ice and Fairy type moves were incredibly effective against Garchomp…they came prepared to fight her.

"Stone Edge!" Cynthia commanded without a moment's hesitation. Garchomp stomped on the ground, creating several azure stones that acted as a shield against Blizzard and Fairy Wind. That was the least of her worries, because her back was to the Shadow Pokémon!

"Tyranitar, go loose." Nascour commanded and took a step back. The Shadow Tyranitar had the go ahead to unleash its strength and it did just that. With a roar, Tyrantiar stampeded towards Garchomp with its mouth gaping open.

An attack on two fronts like this would prove difficult even for Cynthia with the opponents she was dealing with. Turning quickly, she didn't miss a beat in issuing Garchomp's next command. "Garchomp, Brick Break!" Garchomp turned, bringing its claw up to smack Tyranitar, only the shadow pokemon bit down on its hand, leaving them both in a slight stalemate. Garchomp quickly swung its free hand at the rock type's chest, forcing it to release and send it skidding backwards. Tyrantiar fired back immediately with a Dark Pulse, the beam of darkness colliding against Garchomp's chest to send it stumbling backwards to the Stone Edge wall behind it…which happened to shatter the second they were in a compromising situation. "…!"

"This is the end of the line for you!" Gorrigan bellowed. "Primape, use Outrage!"

"Dragon Rush!"

Primape let out a howl, its anger already reaching its boiling point as a pseudo draconic aura flared around its body; the fighting type wildly lunged towards Garchomp in a blind fury. Garchomp surrounded its body in multicolored energy in the shape of a dragon. The two pokemon clashed, a shockwave booming out that almost shook the stadium from the raw power between the two opposing powers.

.

Lore and Kayla were in the same situation, albeit it was not as extreme as Cynthia's. The two were back to back, flanked by a number of Chiper Peons on both sides of the hallway. Lopunny and Sceptile were out, glaring towards the number of opposing pokemon standing in their way. "I can only imagine the forces they have on Cynthia…" Kayla was worried, but figured the Sinnoh champion would be able to handle herself. For now, any and all worry had to go to their situation.

"We shall just break through their numbers to provide the suitable backup she may require." Lore nodded before pointing forward. "Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!" An emerald blade formed along both of Sceptile's forearms as it leapt forward, cross slashing the number of opposing pokemon in its way. The Chiper Peons weren't expecting Sceptile to be so strong as their pokemon were easily mowed down.

"Agh..! What the heck!?" A Peon shouted.

"Does my power strike fear into your mortal hearts?!" Lore was probably enjoying this a little more than he should've been. "Good! Cower in fear as you gaze at the power of Shadowlore and his Sceptile!"

Normally, Kayla would say this isn't the time for his antics. But, it seemed to be working wonderfully in their favor! Now it was her turn to strike while everyone was focused on Lore. "Lopunny, Dizzy Punch!" Lopunny began to dance elegantly around the opposing pokemon, throwing out her fists and ears to just blow everything out of the way. "Now tell us what you know!"

"Who would've thought they'd be this strong…" A Chiper Peon swallowed the lump in their throat. It was around then that the hallways began to rumble slightly. "Oh…!"

"…Did my overwhelming power cause the earth to quake in fear…?" Lore questioned and it seemed everyone could agree that it was NOT that.

"It sounds like they're just about done over there…"

"What does that mean!?" Kayla questioned.

"Looks like we're done here then!" The chiper peons threw down Smoke Balls, filling the corridor with a thick cloud of smoke that obscured vision, Kayla and Lore were left coughing profusely until the smoke cleared; revealing that they were all alone.

"They had to cower in fear of my presence…that I understand." Lore coughed a few times. "Regardless…I believe we should hurry to the champion's aid."

"Yes…we should…"

.

Cynthia was not the champion of Sinnoh for no reason. Even in such a crowded situation, she managed to defeat the Chiper Peons and their pokemon; all that was left was Gorrigan's Primape, and Shadow Tyranitar, although neither seemed to be going down anytime soon and even Garchomp was beginning to get exhausted. "You boast large numbers…but you can't even take on one trainer…? Chiper may not be as strong as I feared…"

"You boast a big game…but even I can see that you're beginning to run out of steam." Nascour scoffed.

"You musn't know me very well then." Cynthia replied defiantly. She knew Garchomp could keep this going if they had to. "Garchomp, Brick Break!" Without wasting another second, Garchomp lunged towards Tyrantiar.

"Shadow Break." Nascour commanded. Tyrantiar roared as shadow energy surrounded its claw and it lunged forward to clash with Garchomp's Brick Break. The two collided for a moment before Shadow Break overpowered Garchomp and caused it to nearly fly backwards.

"…" Cynthia narrowed her gaze at the damage Garchomp took. She wouldn't allow Nascour the pleasure of seeing her taken aback.

"Shadow attacks are effective against every type of pokemon. There's naught you can do when struck by one. Perhaps a few more of those will finally bring you down…though it is impressive that your Garchomp has been able to take multiple strikes."

"Primape, Cross Chop!" Gorrigan was going to make use of this opening. Primape took to the air, crossing its large arms in front of its body. It was going to land another direct hit on Garchomp when…

"Shadow Ball!"

Several violent spheres of darkness struck Primape in the back, flinging it to the opposite wall with swirls in its eyes to signify its KO. "What the?!" Gorrigan turned behind him only to see a pair of unexpected figures: Diantha and her Gardevoir.

"That's enough, Chiper." Diantha extended her arm forward; behind her, several Officer Jennys and their Arcanine's appeared. "You will not make another move."

"When did…" Gorrigan took a step back while returning Primape. "I can't believe this..! How did they know!"

"I made a call last night to prepare…" Cynthia gave Nascour a sly grin. "I had a feeling Chiper would be worried about me of all people in their business. My suspicions were only confirmed by this…and now I know plenty of information and all I had to do was buy a little time. Officer Jenny, you need to arrest…"

Before Cynthia could finish, a Chiper Peon managed to whisper to his barely conscious Walrein; "Ice Beam…." That Walrein released a beam of ice that quickly soared across the corridor and struck Cynthia in the back of the head. All froze for that instant as Cynthia slowly fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Oh my word…!" Diantha's eyes widened as Cynthia was attacked.

"You won't be getting us today." Nascour chuckled and snapped his fingers. Tyranitar bellowed before releasing a beam of darkness that caused an explosion in the corridor, causing the stadium to rumble violently.

.

"…That was odd…?" Elizabeth looked around after the slight tremors. "What was that all about…?"

"I don't know…" Ash shrugged.

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Venus waved to the crowd to ease their worries, but of course, not everyone was convinced. She then turned to Grace, wearing a sweet smile barely visible under the veil that covered her mouth. "So…girly…I want to make this bout a little more interesting."

"Oh yeah?" Grace quirked a brow. "And how's that…?"

"Let's make a bet. If you win…I will give you what it is you desire without any complaints." Venus got the react out of Grace that she wanted; that shocked expression. Venus knew precisely what it was Grace was working so hard for, and to dangle it in her face like this when she wanted it most! Tauroseye.

But there was a catch… "And if I lose…?"

"Then I want you to do one of two things: you and your Kalos team will resign from this tournament on account of you being unfit for captain. Or…you will crawl on your hands and knees at my feet, and pledge allegiance to Lady Venus and state how wonderful I am, and how terrible you are. It's your choice…but if you can't pick one by the time I defeat you, I'll pick for you."

"Who in their right mind would praise you?" Grace shot back.

"Oh? Are you saying that those watching in the audience and on TV are: 'out of their minds'?" Venus tilted her head and the crowd seemed to be quite angry with Grace for that. The last thing she needed was to be hounded on all ends…

"Those terms are crazy…!" Marcus slammed his hands on the railing. "Grace, don't do it! It's not worth it!" Oh…if only he knew the kind of risks Grace were willing to take…

"She's asking you to throw away your pride…? That's insane!" Kasumi shook her head. "Don't do it!"

Grace turned her head to her team, thinking about it only for a moment before nodding at Venus. "Very well…I accept your proposal. I won't be losing to you."

Hook, line, and sinker. Venus' angelic smile could also be interpreted as something demonic. However the crowd would never see her true colors… "Excellent…"

.

.

Next Time: For All You've Done.


	34. Chapter 34: For All You've Done

"So, are you ready to get this started?" Venus said while bringing up a pokeball. "We can't give these people a terribly shoddy battle now can we?"

"Of course not." Grace nodded in agreement; there was at least something in the world Venus and Grace could come to terms on. "I'm glad we're on air. I can't wait to shatter that ego of yours on live camera."

"Hah…" Venus giggled. "Perhaps we're more alike than you realize. Because I was thinking the same exact thing!"

"The battle hasn't even started yet and they're throwing punches…" Ash glanced been the both of them. He could get that the tension between them played a role, but he was also missing the fact that they were both very competitive females who didn't want to lose to one another.

"Pangoro, let's crush her!" Tossing a pokeball forward, Grace called unveiled a new pokemon! The 300lb panda let out a roar before focusing its attention on Venus.

Immediately after Grace called out Pangoro, Serena's Pancham called itself out of her pokeball and sat on the railing to watch. "Oh…! I guess it wants to watch." Serena giggled quietly.

"What an unsightly creature…" Venus scoffed before tossing her pokeball forward with a bit of elegance. "Banette, let us dance!" Banette appeared from the pokeball; strange how Venus could call a creepy doll elegant but…

"Let the battle begin!" The referee exclaimed before throwing his hand down. The rocky field was in place and this battle was going to be anything but smooth!

"Pangoro, Stone Edge!" Grace issued the first command of the battle. Pangoro slammed its fist into the ground, creating several stones that shot up sporadically along the ground in attempt to strike Banette.

"Sucker Punch." Venus winked. Just as Pangoro used Stone Edge, Banette's body vanished and appeared in front of Pangoro. The ghost type then delivered a sneaky punch to the panda's face, causing it to cringe in pain.

"Ah…!" Why Grace was surprised, she had no idea. But now she had a chance to strike back. "Quick, Payback!" Recovering quickly from the Sucker Punch, Pangoro's body lit up in a violet hue and it slammed its fist into Banette's fist. Due to having been hit, Payback's strength was doubled and it was already a super effective hit! Banette flew backwards before landing roughly on its stomach. "How's that?"

"Oh, my beautiful Banette…!" Venus gasped a bit overdramatically. Banette eventually stood back up after the heavy it. Venus clapped her hands together and smiled. "Oh, my beautiful creature! Show that brute some manners and use Attract!" Banette nodded and brought its hand to its zipped mouth before blowing several hearts in Pangoro's direction.

"Here it comes…" Wes stated, curious to see how Grace would handle Venus's infamous Attract strategy.

"Dodge it!" It seems Grace didn't have any plan aside from straight up evasion. Pangoro did its best to evade the incoming hearts, however a few of them got the better of it and it fell under the attraction status to a Banette of all things! "Oh come on! She's really not that into you, you know!"

"Dazzling Gleam!" Banette moved in front of Pangoro's face, grinning maliciously as its body released a bright shine! This Fairy type move was incredible effective on Pangoro and sent it flying backwards until it was just in front of Grace.

"Pangoro, get up!" Grace shouted in worry.

"…." Marcus let out a heavy sigh. "I knew she shouldn't have gone through with this…she's not as composed as she usually is…"

"She'll pull through, just watch!" Kasumi had the upmost faith in Grace.

Pangoro slowly stood up, although it was not over its sudden infatuation for Banette. "For the love of everything that's all good and holy, Pangoro…!"

"Sucker Punch~" Venus clicked her tongue. Banette's form slowly vanished away and reappeared in front of Pangoro.

"Crunch!" Just before Banette's fist hit Pangoro, it bit down on the ghost's hand with an incredibly tight grip before tossing it into the air with a single movement; "Tough love hurts doesn't it!? Dark Pulse!" Throwing its arms forward, Pangoro unleashed a spiraling beam of darkness shot from its hands and slammed into the aerial Banette. It was a direct hit and Banette fell to the ground, defeated.

No matter how long the ref tried to wait, it just wasn't happening. So, against Lady Venus' wishes… "Banette is unable to battle! Pangoro is the winner!"

"I told you she'd have this!" Kasumi jumped up with a wide grin.

"She's keeping her cool…" Elizabeth noticed.

"U-Unbelievable!" The host was just as shocked as the audience. "L-Lady Venus has lost a Pokémon…!? This can't be happening…!"

"Tch…" Venus's lips curled into a scowl as she returned Banette. "That stroke of luck won't get you very far. Steelix, let's crush this little girl." Tossing another pokeball forward, Venus' Steelix finally came onto the field; her strongest known pokemon.

"We'll just beat that one too! Focus Blast!" Now that Banette was defeated, Pangoro was no longer under the love spell so it could fight with a clear mind. Focusing its energy into a yellow sphere, the fighting type thrust its arm forward and sent said orb hurling towards Steelix.

"Iron Tail." Venus commanded with a yawn. The metallic serpent brought its tail up, smacking the Focus Blast right back at Pangoro. It all happened so quickly that nobody could even process what happened; all they saw was Pangoro go down after a small explosion.

"Pangoro is unable to battle! Steelix is the winner!" The referee exclaimed.

"That's our Lady Venus! Yeah!" The audience got over the shock of Venus losing a pokemon fairly quickly.

"Agh…" Grace was a little fazed that all her progress amounted to nothing within a mere second. But she was still close and she couldn't afford to falter now. "Salamance, I'm counting on you!" Grace's next pokemon of choice was her fearsome Salamance! The dragon landed on the ground, growling at Venus and Steelix.

"Oh…?" Venus giggled softly. "Truly going all out are we? You can keep trying as much as you want against me…but all your struggling will amount to nothing against me…but you already knew that, didn't you…?"

"…Salamance, Fire Blast." Grace pointed forward. Flames protruded from Salamance's mouth before it unleashed a gigantic symbol of flame towards Steelix.

"Dig!" Steelix dove into the rocky ground headfirst, creating a large hole in its wake. The Fire Blast passed right past it and exploded elsewhere on the field.

"To the sky!" Salamance flapped its wings, soaring right into the air where Steelix would be unable to reach it…or so they thought.

"Iron Tail!" Steelix rose from the ground. Salamance had more than enough time to evade it on the rise…but that wasn't the issue. Steelix turned its entire body around; slamming its tail right into Salamance's back, sending it rocketing to the ground with a loud thud. "Heavy Slam!" Following up, Steelix planned to slam its entire metal body onto Salamance.

"Salamance, get up and use Dragon Rush!" Salamance had to shake off the impact first before spreading its wings and taking off just before Steelix could land on it. Steelix ended up landing on the harsh ground as Salamance circled around it, multicolored energy flaring around its body in the shape of a dragon. Salamance smashed into Steelix with incredible force, nearly forcing the large serpent to topple over!

"Don't you dare let it out of your sight! Ice Fang!" Steelix recovered from the Dragon Rush easily, turning just as Salamance tried to pass it and bit down its now frost covered fangs onto the dragon's tail, holding it in place while delivering massive damage.

"She caught it!?" Bonnie's eyes widened, but she wasn't as surprised as Grace was.

"Salamance! Get out of there!" Grace pleaded, but it was too late as Steelix just harshly threw Salamance to the ground and it had to recuperate from the Ice Fang.

"Iron Tail." Steelix slammed its tail onto Salamance's back, keeping it pinned to the ground. Venus stared across the field, smirking at the somewhat panicked expression on Grace's face. "Ahhh…that's the expression I was yearning to see once again. You've finally started to realize how hopeless this situation is for you…is that right? That sensation of powerlessness is finally overcoming you once again, isn't it? You're oh so close to your goal…but you just can't surmount the wall, can you?"

"S-Salamance! Get out of there!" Grace pleaded, but Steelix slammed its tail on Salamance once again with vicious force. The ground caved in and shattered from such a simple movement…and when it faded even Salamance had fallen.

"Salamance is unable to battle! Steelix is the winner!" The ref pointed at Venus.

"That's our Lady Venus!"

"Show that witch whose boss!"

"She's nothing to you!"

"She's losing it…" Wes stated.

"Grace…hold on! You can do this…!" Rui cheered Grace on. Lovrina sat quietly and watched the battle; it wasn't often she stayed quiet to watch something without some kind of snarky commentary first.

"You did great, Salmance…thank you." Grace nodded and returned Salamance.

"You're absolutely deplorable." Venus shrugged as Grace returned Salamance, doing the same for Steelix surprisingly. "I can't believe the audacity that you as a person have…you don't even know why you do the things you do…you just plunge in blindly for your own selfish reasons. What kind of person are you that you can honestly believe you're better than me…?"

"I…" Grace shook her head, doing her best to stand firm. But as the battle continued it was clear to see her resolve to battle was slowly wavering. "Venusaur…help me, please!" She wasn't going to give up yet…her trusted partner was by her side and they hadn't lost a battle together yet! "We can beat you…I'm going to take it from you and finish my job…"

"See what I mean…? It's disgusting how selfish you are…you don't even realize the gravity of the deal we've made have you? Because you're so focused on one thing that you haven't been able to see outside of your tunnel vision…only a black hearted selfish individual would have such a narrow mindset. This is why I'm going to exact punishment on you for thinking for even a second that you have better mortality than me." Venus sighed and shrugged before throwing her next pokeball out; the pokemon that came out was surprising for it was Suicune!

"What the…?" Even Wes was taken aback by Venus' choice.

"Why…!?" Lovrina jolted from her seat.

"She's really done it now…" Ein sighed.

"She's got Suicune!?" Rui's eyes widened. "But Wes! I thought you had it!?"

"Amazing! Lady Venus has unveiled a Pokémon just as rare and graceful as she is! She's just filled with pleasant surprises!" The host was in utter awe!

"Don't listen to her, Grace…! You can do it…!" Kasumi continued to cheer.

"Why is she shaking…" Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that Grace was trying to hide her trembling. It started just before Salamance went down. This was the first time anyone had seen her so distraught.

"I'm not going to lose to you or your fancy pokemon…" Grace said while pulling her mega necklace around her neck, gently tapping the Mega Stone on the base. "I made a promise to her…and I'll do everything I can to fulfil it! Venusaur, let's shut her up once and for all! Mega Evolve!"

"When did she get the necklace back…?" Marcus's voice was filled with surprise.

It wasn't long before Venusuar evolved into Mega Venusaur! Grace had all her hope and emotion into her partner and if it was for Kasumi's sake… "We can do this! Venusaur, Solar beam!" Venusaur pointed its bulb forward while gathering solar energy faster than before, releasing it in a gigantic beam that soared towards Suicune.

"Oh…you poor thing. You're so blind to your own whims it's almost painful…allow me to wake you up. Aurora Beam!" Venus sighed while issuing her command. Suicune opened its mouth and released a rainbow colored beam of frost to clash with the Solar Beam. The two attacks crashed and exploded on contact, kicking up a fierce wind that forced everyone to bring their arms up to shield their eyes.

"Petal Blizzard!" Not missing a beat, Venusaur created a whirlwind of razor sharp petals, releasing said vortex towards Suicune for massive damage!

"Gust!" Suicune countered Petal Blizzard by summoning a powerful wind to surpass it. This fierce gale actually took control of the Petal Blizzard before sending it right towards Venusaur, trapping it within the fierce storm before slamming it right down into the ground with force!

"Venusaur…!" Grace hoped for Venusaur to recover, and it did just that after a moment. "Great! Let's go, Razor Leaf!" Venusaur let out a roar before releasing several sharp leaves in Suicune's direction. Surely these had to do some kind of damage!

"Suicune, be a dear and dodge." Suicune was elegant in its movements; gracefully evading the incoming leaves as if they were nothing! The way it moved left the crowd speechless, however Grace was just waiting…

"Now, Solar Beam!" This was her chance! With Suicune so close she had to be able to catch it off guard. Venusaur released a near point blank beam of solar energy towards the mythical beast, however…

"Mirror Coat." Venus saw right through her. Suciune's body radiated a certain energy that allowed it to easily reflect the incoming Solar Beam, and force double the damage! Grace was not expecting the counter and Venusaur was nearly thrown off its feet from such power, almost collapsing on the spot! This was the first time anyone had seen Grace pushed into a corner like this…she was the undefeated threat of the entire tournament and Venus was making her look like child's play!

"Venusaur! Hang on for just a little longer…!" Grace pleaded.

Venus shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "You're so pathetic. You've forgotten your place, child. Did you honestly think I was going to let that incident from yesterday slide so easily? How dare YOU of all people defy ME? I am your superior and you know that…and yet you had the audacity to speak up to me like that? You're doing all this fighting without questioning a single motive of ours…you don't even know what you're doing. You just want the Time Flute, and for what…? To fix a mistake that you yourself created? I bet you haven't even told that girl the truth behind the incident…or why you're even fighting in the first place. Your motives are sickeningly sweet…but fighting the way you are now…you're getting nowhere, Grace, and you know it. You're the perhaps the strongest trainer here excluding myself…and you're the most powerless person I've ever met. I'm practically handing you the Flute, and you can't even stand up on your own two feet to grab it. If you can't grab it now…then you're never going to see it no matter how long you fight. How pathetic do you have to be to play both sides like that and still not get what you want…? In the grand scheme of things…you're just nothing."

Grace's jaw hung wide open at Venus's words. Was…was she right…? "A-Am I…really nothing…?"

"Grace, snap out of it…!" Kasumi exclaimed, but her words were falling on deaf ears.

"What did she mean by, 'play both sides…?'" Bonnie asked the others, but they had no clue.

"Why is she talking about a flute…?" Clemont mumbled.

"Now you're starting to get it!" Venus clapped her hands together, smiling brightly as Grace was essentially just frozen. "You're absolutely nothing…and would be much happier doing what I told you to do. Of course…if you did that, then you wouldn't be here in this situation to begin with. But first…let me put you out of your misery first. Suicune, Aurora Beam." Suicune inhaled before unleashing a gigantic beam of frost at Venusaur. Grace couldn't even muster up the will to make a command, so Venusaur just had to brace for impact. It couldn't and was thrown into the wall behind Grace in KO, returning to its normal form.

"Venusaur is unable to battle! Therefore, Lady Venus is the winner and advances to round 4!" The referee pointed at Venus; half the crowd cheered while the other half was stunned into silence at Grace's defeat and Venus's overwhelming victory! A 2-0 was very convincing…and Grace hardly did any damage to Steelix and didn't even touch Suicune.

"The undefeated has been defeated! Lady Venus takes it!" The host exclaimed with joy.

"GRACE!" Marcus and Kasumi called out, preparing to rush down to help her…but they froze as Venus started to walk to the center of the stage. A bet was made after all…

"Now Grace…which will you choose…? Will you allow your team to be expelled because of your terrible lack of judgement…or will you get on your hands and knees for me~" Venus cooed, however Grace couldn't even muster any words. "Hmmm…no answer…? Then I'll decide for you. Kalos Team…I have to wonder…how can you have someone appointed as leader that you can't even trust…? I bet you didn't even know the secret she was hiding…and that secret is the reason that you're all…"

"Wait…" Grace's voice cracked the silence as she returned Venusaur. "…I'm…the captain of the Kalos Team…it's my job to make sure nothing happens to them…I bear responsibility for them…so I…I resign my position to Elizabeth…!"

"Wait, huh!?" Elizabeth leaned over the railing. "What are you doing!?"

"That's cute…" Venus shook her head. "But moving your position over to that blue haired wreck doesn't get you or your team off the hook, Grace. I'm still going to…"

"Leave them out of this. This was between you and I…they shouldn't have to suffer because of my mistake…not again…" Grace frowned.

"Are you begging me?" Venus was making the progress she wanted. That smirk on her lips told it all. "Who would've thought your strong sense of responsibility would lead us here. So what will you say, Grace…?"

Grace paused for a moment before getting on her knees and bowing down to Venus. She didn't want her entire team or her friends to suffer just because of her blindness…and Venus was without a doubt going to blackmail her about her secret if she refused. This was a trap from the beginning and she fell right for it. "….Lady Venus…is superior to me in every way…I…pledge my allegiance to her…"

"NO!"

"What a good girl you are." Venus smiled sweetly and patted Grace on the head. "Now come along…we have a lot of work to do. I want to start by fixing that attitude of yours." Venus waved her hand for Grace to stand and follow her…not like she had a choice from the very beginning anyway. Before she was working with Chiper…now she was just Venus's little slave. "Maybe if you're good enough, you can get that little Flute you've desired for so long! Oh, but it depends on that attitude of yours!" With that…Venus and Grace disappeared.

.

.

Next Time: Brave Bird.


	35. Chapter 35: Brave Bird

"Darn it all!" Marcus shouted angrily while punching a wall. Not exactly the best move but he had no other way to vent his anger at the moment. "What the heck was she thinking taking on Venus like that!?"

"I-I'm sure she had her reasons…" Serena had no idea what those reasons could have been, but she was trying to find at least something in this situation.

"Whatever those reasons were, she should've told us!" Marcus was reasonably upset. One of his best friends was publicly humiliated and broken right in front of his eyes and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"…." Kasumi's dark aura could be seen fading in and out around her. She was absolutely livid but she couldn't let her emotions boil over lest it cause trouble for everyone in the area. She recalled the conversation she had with Grace last night…and with what she saw prior to that, she was starting to put somethings together. The picture that was being painted really didn't look so good now.

"Kasumi…you're noticeably angry…" Rui pointed out before turning to Wes with a pout. "But you have some explaining to do! I thought we agreed to release Suicune and the others, so why does Venus have it again!?"

"I don't see why you're yelling…" Wes sighed heavily. "It's not outside the realm of possibility that she merely managed to capture it again. I was just as surprised as everyone else when she brought it out."

"Well isn't this wonderful…" Elizabeth sighed. "Way to thrust all this responsibility on me…"

"…Is she gonna be okay…?" Bonnie pouted while staring at the others. She had the least idea of what Venus would do to Grace, but she had plenty of reason to be worried about it.

"…I'm sure she'll be fine…" Serena reassured Bonnie with a soft smile. But truth be told, Serena didn't know either.

"Well!" The host cleared his throat. The tournament did have to continue after all no matter how every match ended. "Onto our next bout!" The screen flickered and this time Marcus was up to bout, though it was going to be a little difficult for him after what just happened right in front of them. His opponent was an unfamiliar face, due to it being one of Venus' cronies. "Oh…I'm also receiving a message from Lady Venus…she says 'anything goes' in her absence! So have fun you two!"

"Agh…I'll try my best." With a heavy sigh, Marcus started to head to the arena. "I can't lose now…someone has to make Venus pay."

Takeba and Scott soon appeared, both frowning after the events. "Man…that kinda bites…" Takeba wasn't exactly the best conversationalist, but she felt as though she had to say something. "That Venus really has to go…"

"Agreed…" Scott quietly stated.

"The concern is appreciated at least…" Lovrina waved a hand. Wait…she was concerned too? Hopefully nobody caught onto that.

Diantha soon appeared before then along with Kayla and Lore. Elizabeth shaped up immediately before the champion could even open her mouth. "Ah…so this is where you all were…."

"Diantha?! What brings you here?!" Yeah…Elizabeth couldn't keep her cool around Diantha as per usual…but she did notice something strange. "Wait…where's Cynthia? Did something happen…?"

"Yeah…" Kayla nodded slowly. "It happened a little while ago…about the same time as uh…Venus beating Grace. Cynthia got knocked out cold during a Chiper ambush in the hallways."

"So that's what those tremors were…" Ash nodded. "I thought it was coming from their battle…but then again it did start before then. Will Cynthia be okay…?"

"We don't know yet…she took a bad hit." Diantha was very regretful on this matter, especially since she was there. "We encountered two Chiper admins…and I started to think…if they are allowed to roam so freely even with the security around here…"

"Then the people Venus brought in are…" Clemont trailed off, but it seemed the general hypothesis was looking more and more likely by the second. "Marcus could be in for some trouble…"

.

"The field for this battle will be…sand!" The host exclaimed as the battlefield changed into a sandy field akin to that of a dessert. Marcus stepped forward with a grumpy expression and his opponent was…Amelia. That same Chiper Peon that was in the attack from the other day, though Marcus didn't recognize her without the mask on.

"Shame about your friend. But I'm sure Lady Venus will take good care of her." Amelia chuckled quietly, and her mockery pushed all the right buttons to get under his skin.

"Shut up." Marcus grunted before tossing a pokeball forward, calling forth his Staravia, which hovered above the battlefield slightly as to not be bogged down by the sand. "Staravia, I'm counting on you."

"Hah…" Amelia snickered quietly before tossing out her Braviary. The bird pokemon was much larger than the opposing Staravia and it was actually someone intimidating.

"Yikes…that's a big bird…but we can take it!" Marcus gave a firm nod to his avian, which squawked in agreement.

"How about we make this one a little more interesting…" Amelia lifted a hand up, halting the ref before he could make the call. "I see bets are the deal of this round…and I would love to join the festivities you see."

"I'm not becoming your lapdog." Marcus spat.

To that, Amelia shook her head. Although she would've enjoyed it for the humiliation she suffered because of Fraxure a few days prior. "No no…let's make this quick and easy. A Sky Battle; one vs. one: Your Staravia vs my Braviary…and if we should win…you give it to me."

Kasumi slammed her hands on the railing. "Stop with these bets, I don't like them!" Like she wanted to see another one of her close friends suffer from the horrid options of these bets.

"And if I win, perhaps you can discuss with Venus about letting my friend go." Marcus narrowed his eyes. It was a bit of a stretch, but he was desperate to help Grace anyway he could.

"That's it? Shame…but I accept your terms." Amelia shrugged. "Lady Venus and I are somewhat close, so I suppose she could bend an ear to me…if you're lucky that is."

"I hate this…" Kasumi pouted. "Bets aren't good…"

"Marcus gets the first move. Begin!" The referee exclaimed.

"Double Edge!" Staravia wasted no time diving forward as quickly as it could towards Braviary, aiming to slam its entire body into it.

"Crush Claw!" Amelia replied with a sly grin. Braviary waited for the last second before shifting its body out of the way, aiming its sharp talons at Staravia. It was a direct hit and Starvaia was sent backwards before recovering from the blow.

"Tch…Aerial Ace!" Marcus replied immediately.

"Aerial Ace!"

Both Staravia and Braviary took off into the air, clashing with one another rapidly while ascending higher into the sky, shockwaves occurring from their collision. The two u-turned away from each other before flying at full force at each other; the second they clashed a massive explosion occurred midair, kicking up a fierce wind storm that forced the two trainers to shield their eyes from the wind kicked up.

"It's your pray. Air Slash!" Braviary proceeded to fly above and behind Staravia. No matter how hard Staravia attempted to escape Braviary was just behind it like a predator whose eyes locked onto its fresh pair. With a cry, it spun its body clockwise and sent several circular saws composed of air towards Staravia.

"Watch out!" Marcus cried out. Staravia anxiously attempted to evade the incoming saws of air, however it was unable to completely avoid the Air Slash and one hit its mark. The collision briefly caused it to fall before recovering. "Great…! Now, use Quick Attack!" With incredible speed, Staravia ascended to the sky once again and slammed its body into Braviary's stomach, causing it to free fall for only a second.

"Did he get it!?" Bonnie's eyes lit up.

"…..Hyper Beam." Amelia clicked her tongue, completely unfazed by the single hit Staravia managed to land. Braviary recovered quickly and twisted its body, unleashing a massive beam of energy directly towards Staravia!

Marcus's eyes widened at the massive incoming beam. "Watch out!" He told Staravia, however it was too late and the beam consumed Staravia. The bird let out a cry of pain before it just fell out of the sky, landing harshly in the sand in the center of the field. "Staravia!" Marcus was about to rush over to help, but it seemed that bird still had a little bit of fight left in it.

"That's quite a good bird you have there…" Amelia snickered sinisterly. "Too bad for you that it'll be mine soon…but…Air Slash." Braviary released yet another Air Slash…only the recuperating Staravia wasn't the target! It was Marcus!

"What the…!?" Marcus crossed his arms, several saws exploding around him in the process and he didn't come unscathed from it. "What's the big idea…!?"

"Did you get the memo? Anything goes." Amelia snickered quickly.

"She's definitely with Chiper…" Serena grumbled. "Another trap…?"

"They really know what they're doing…" Wes chuckled quietly, of course what he found humorous only irritated the others.

"Is seeing my friend's suffering funny to you!?" Kasumi glared at Wes, that dark aura flaring up once again as she shouted. She was garnering some unwanted attention, but it couldn't be helped. "You had that same grin on your face when Grace was taken away…you…you…!" Serena then placed her hand on Kasumi's shoulder to bring her back. Slowly, the aura fizzled away and she let out a heavy sigh, turning to Marcus's fight. "I don't want you to lose either…"

Staravia finally recovered, flying towards Braviary and slammed into it with a fierce Double Edge. This bird pokemon was ready to defend its trainer despite its injuries. However this only amused Amelia more than anything else. "Crush Claw." Braviary quickly circled around Staravia before slashing at it with its sharp talons, sending the weaker avian once again into the sand clear on the opposite side of the field.

"Staravia…!"

Amelia giggled before placing her hands on her hips. "Today's just not your day, is it? Hopelessly watching your friend get destroyed by Lady Venus….and now you can't even win a pokemon battle in what little attempt to save her."

"Ah…" Marcus froze for a second. He had already been feeling weaker than everyone else but this was a nail in that coffin.

"It's okay…not everyone is cut out for this stuff." Shrugging, Amelia pointed a hand forward. "Which is why I intend to put you out of your inferiority-complex misery. Weaklings don't deserve to reside in coming world of shadow…you will all be wiped out eventually. Hyper Beam." Braviary reared its head back before once again releasing an overpowering beam of energy that soared directly towards Marcus at a rapid pace!

"Marcus…get out of there…!" Kasumi was seriously about to vault over the railing to do something.

"This can't be legal…!" Bonnie cried out.

Chiper really had a way of getting under people's skin. Marcus ended up being frozen and just stared wide eyed at the incoming Hyper Beam. His legs didn't want to respond either…maybe he wasn't cut out for this. That was his thought process; however an objecting squawk from his Staravia caught his attention. "Huh…?" The avain weakly flapped its wings before flying forward, attempting to intercept the Hyper Beam.

"There's no way it's gonna make it in time…!" Lovrina grit her teeth.

Although Lovrina said that, she was underestimating Staravia. A fierce blue aura cloaked the avian as its speed increased dramatically, a white light shrouding the bird in the process. Staravia made a sharp turn and its wings collided with the Hyper Beam, cutting through it to save its trainer. The light then exploded around Staravia, or rather, Staraptor!

"A Staraptor…!" Serena wasted no time pulling out her pokedex to scan the creature.

 _"_ _Staraptor, The Predator Pokémon. This pokemon will courageously fight foes that are much larger than it. Even when injured, it will still attack furiously."_ The Pokedex was correct about that; Braviary was still much larger than Staraptor, but the injured predator had no problems squaring up against such an opponent, especially since it had the audacity to attack its trainer like that.

"YEAH!" Kasumi threw her hands into the air. "Take it out, Staraptor! Show that bird who's the real boss!"

"Sorry for making you worry…" Marcus chuckled dryly before staring at Staraptor. "I dunno what happened…but if I falter like that I really won't be able to do anything. So…let's try this one more time! Aerial Ace!"

Amelia sucked her teeth in annoyance. "Tch…! It's no use! Aerial Ace!"

Staraptor and Braivary took into the sky once again, clashing with one another in the midst of their flight. Unlike before, Staraptor gained an early advantage and managed to land a hit, causing Braviary to recoil.

"Crush Claw!"

Braivary quickly recovered and aimed its fierce talons at Staraptor once again. Unlike before, Staraptor was capable of evading the Crush Claw with ease and ended up flying away from Braviary, who fiercely pursued it. This was great, Staraptor had great aerial mobility and it was time to make use of this.

"Turn back with Quick Attack!" Staraptor sharply turned, twisting its body around to pivot and rocket at Braviary, slamming into its stomach in a cork-screw like motion, dealing additional damage while sending Braviary down towards the ground.

"Not again…!" Amelia grunted before swinging her arm to the side. "Air Slash!" Braviary quickly recovered, releasing multiple saws of air towards Staraptor once again.

"Dodge it!" Staraptor nimbly evaded the saws of air as they exploded behind it. Its efforts lasted for a while before it was unfortunately struck, falling from the sky after the heavy hit. "Ah…!"

"There! Now, finish it with Hyper Beam!" Braviary saw its chance to finish things. This one was perhaps the largest one yet; the widespread beam rocketed towards the falling Staraptor, looking to finish this Sky Battle once and for all!

"Staraptor! This is it, Brave Bird…!" Staraptor regained its senses just in the nick of time, tucking its wings in as a fierce fiery blue aura flared around its body. It was do or die! Spinning around, the aura intensified and turned into a larger avian as Staraptor clashed with the Hyper Beam. It slowly managed to push through to everyone's surprise and slowly closed the distance between itself and Braviary. "LET'S GOOOO!" With one final push, Staraptor closed in one Braviary and the immediate area exploded violently in a cloud of dark smoke.

Silence filled the area as one bird flew from the smoke. Staraptor returned to Marcus's side, giving a firm nod. As that smoke began to disperse…Braviary was the one lying in the sand KO'ed.

"Braviary is unable to battle! Therefore Marcus is the winner and advances to Round 4!" The referee exclaimed.

"Ah…!?" Amelia's eyes widened at her second defeat because of Marcus. "Damn it! Why do you keep doing this to me!?"

"That voice sounds familiar…" Marcus shrugged before pointing at Amelia. "But that doesn't matter now. You have a deal to hold up, don't you?"

"Agh…tch….!" Amelia shook her head, face red in frustration as she returned Braviary. "T-There's no guarantee that she'll listen. But fine, have it your way!"

"WOOHOO!" Kasumi jumped up and down for joy. "Nice job you two!"

"Heh…" Scott chuckled.

"The way Venus is conducting this tournament is precisely how it was in The Under…the people are so enamored with her they don't even question her rules…" Rui sighed. "I thought this was for fun…not life or death."

"We'll just have to dethrone her again." Wes shrugged. "Done it once, can do it again."

.

From elsewhere in the stadium, Venus was busy giving Grace a makeover while watching the fight between Marcus and Amelia. The end result only made her slightly upset, but nothing that couldn't be fixed by changing…well, everything about Grace. "Hm. Such a shame, I thought these Peons would be able to put up more of a fight. Oh well…I never intended for them to win anyway. I'm going to take all this glory for myself once it's all over…and now I have a new little mascot to cheer me on, isn't that right, dear?"

.

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Next Time: The Storm


	36. Chapter 36: The Storm

Round 3 was still occurring, although it was beginning to come to a close with only a few battles left. Scott was currently battling one of the remaining Chiper Peons Venus managed to sneak into the tournament. The mood on the Kalos side was still sullen and the sky above started to match that with gray clouds overheard. "It looks like it's going to rain soon…" Ash looked up.

"The round's not over yet…and I'd prefer not to battle in the rain, you know…my hair would turn into a mess…" Elizabeth sighed.

"How do you keep your hair like that…?" Serena questioned.

"If you're asking me for fashion tips…I'm not the best one to ask." Elizabeth muttered. "More importantly…what are we going to do about Chiper? It sucks we don't have anything tying Venus to them…otherwise we could get Grace back before something bad happens."

"Worry not…I have an associate on the case." Diantha nodded slowly. In fact, right after she said that, the man appeared himself; Looker.

"Apologies for being late." Looker while glancing round the area. "After Cynthia was attacked, Officer Jenny and I quickly secured the area to ensure that they would not escape…unfortunately, they still managed to slip by us."

"Looker?" Ash blinked.

"Oh, Ash? What brings you here?" Looker questioned.

"You two know each other…?" Diantha had to stare at Ash for a second, because who DIDN'T he know?!

"He's assisted me on some missions in the past." Looker confirmed before looking to the others of the group for a proper introduction. "Ah, allow me to introduce myself. I am Looker, a member of the International Police. I have been tasked with leading the investigation on Chiper in Kalos…their revival is certainly most unexpected but it cannot be ignored."

With Looker's introduction, Lovrina could feel her face growing paler by the second; _"Crap…! The International Police is here now!? This is bad…!"_ Standing up, she lightly dusted herself off. "Well…it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Looker…but I have something I need to check up on really quick so you all have fun without me!" With that, Lovrina was gone!

"…That was odd?" Rui tilted her head. "She seemed a little sick…?"

"Whatever." Wes shrugged.

"Nice to meet you, Looker." Clemont nodded. "So…what have you figured out so far…?"

"I don't believe now is really the time to talk about this…however I can share some information. While it is hard to prove, I do believe that Chiper is plotting something with this tournament. Especially that Lady Venus. Didn't she mention that she would be giving pokemon to those who have lost?"

"Oh…!" Rui snapped her fingers. "I do believe her saying something to that effect…but with how hectic it's been, I never got a chance to see for myself if they were Shadow Pokémon or not."

Looker stared at Rui, now recalling where he had seen her from. "Ah…so you are the girl that can see Shadow Pokémon…you were in the report of Chiper's initial attack. Can I trouble you for your assistance? It would be troublesome if Shadow Pokémon were distributed and we wouldn't be able to keep track of them. We don't have any way of knowing when a pokemon is shadow or not, which has been a wrench in our plans."

To that, Rui nodded. "Yes! I want to help in any way I can. Venus did the same thing down in The Under…only the winners got Shadow Pokémon. I wonder what her deal is this time."

"Wait…before you go." Kasumi poked her fingers together. "How's Cynthia…?"

"She will be fine." Looker confirmed. "She just needs a few days of rest…she is unfortunately unconscious, but she will awaken soon."

"Whew…" Elizabeth could feel her heart start up again. "Okay…so we'll leave that investigation up to you. For now we have to focus on finding a way to take down Venus. I'm getting real sick of her."

"Agreed. She's a meanie!" Bonnie pouted. Dedenne also pouted while letting out a sad whine. "She made Grace really sad and it wasn't necessary. I hope one of you beats her!"

"She's gonna pay, that's for sure." Marcus clenched a hand into a fist.

"…." Wes remained silent on the matter, just shaking his head. They were so focused on Venus that they couldn't even see the bigger picture ahead of them that he had planned…oh well, that was their loss.

.

"I see it's about to rain soon…" Ein stared up at the clouds. "Perhaps a fitting mood for the days to come?" Chuckling quietly, he offered Dakim some tea, but the brute nearly slapped the cup away. "My my…what has your loincloth so twisted?"

"I wanted to fight!" Dakim grunted. "But because of your stupid plot, I was out in the first round! Now you, Venus, and the boss have all the fun fighting!"

"I don't see why you're complaining. My plans have been nothing but perfection thus far…we've rooted out that girl's power, put a hole in the Kalos team's morale…captured Mewtwo…everything is going according to my genius plans." Ein was really patting himself on the back here…much to Dakim's annoyance. "Sure, there have been snags in the road, but nothing that can't be fixed with a little elbow grease. Besides, Venus is having more fun than I. She's been toying with that girl ever since that battle ended, I don't think we'll be seeing her until tomorrow."

"Tch…" Dakim crossed his arms, acting like a child that went to a candy store but was unable to buy anything.

"Plus…with the Sinnoh Champion out of our hair now, my…er, our plans concerning this tournament will proceed smoothly." The scientist moved a hand through his hair.

"You mean Venus' plans. Don't even take credit for what she's been doing." Dakim shut that down.

"You guys..!" Lovrina entered the room, panting somewhat heavily since she had to run around the stadium to reach them. "We've got a problem now."

"What is it…?" Ein questioned.

"The International Police are finally here…and that girl is going to assist them in hunting down Shadow Pokémon." Lovrina spoke between breaths.

This news didn't faze Dakim; instead it made the muscle man grin and he pounded his chest. "Great! Someone to punch!"

"They arrived far sooner than I anticipated…" Ein shrugged it off. "Oh well…let them keep busy with that wild goose chase. Our plans are nearly in motion anyway…just don't blow your cover."

"Why don't you blow…" Lovrina cleared her throat. "What I was about to say isn't very ladylike. So if you'll excuse me." With that, Lovrina made her exit.

"She was about to blow you away faster than a Whirlwind." Dakim snickered, but Ein tried to think nothing of it.

Clearing his throat, Ein continued. "That aside…there is one thing I would like to experience first hand in this tournament…that strange Greninja and its trainer. It defies all logic I've encountered thus far…I must know more about it…I must figure out what it is that defies all logic…and I must make that power mine for Chiper to wield."

.

.

"And we've reached the end of round 3!" The host exclaimed. "So many hard fought battles, and all of them fantastic to say the least! Lady Venus with the most stunning performance of all!" The crowd cheered in agreement, however the Kalos team wasn't really feeling it in the slightest. "But now…here are the remaining people in round 4!" Several profiles flashed onto a screen: Ash, Marcus, Elizabeth, Kasumi, Wes, Venus, Ein, Takeba, Scott and Cravix! "Kalos Team's 5 vs the remaining 5! It's anyone's game at this point!"

"I think we have a shot at winning! But that's far from my main concern now…these numbers are all messed up now…how is this going to work?" Marcus sighed. "Venus just doesn't know when to quit…"

Speaking of Venus…she appeared to snatch the microphone from the host. "Ahem…! Sorry for being absent for most of this round, I just had to have a wonderful talk with my new friend!"

"She really doesn't know when to quit…" Kasumi grumbled.

"But…I've also made another executive decision about this tournament! Do you all really want to work in teams anymore? No? Right? Victory as a shared effort is so boring…so instead…we're all going to be fighting one another!"

"Wait…what?" Takeba tilted her head.

"That's right! It will be a free for all from Round 4 onward! Isn't that wonderful!? Round 4 is going to be the final round of the main tournament…after that, the top 8 best results will square off in one final showdown! A top 8 to decide the true victory of the tournament! Of course I will personally hand pick these people to provide everyone an interesting show!" How ironic…the more Venus spoke, the more it started to rain. "I want to show everyone that the glory of everyone's Venus will rise up and shine brightly among the crowd! Not like it doesn't already, ehe~" No doubt Venus already decided in her mind that she would be the winner of this so called 'Final Countdown'.

"This woman is having the time of her life, isn't she..?" Diantha narrowed her eyes at Venus.

"And of course, anything still goes! That's all I have to say for now! So goodbye my lovelies and have a wonderful evening!" With a wink, Venus departed from the scene. The rain started to grow heavy, meaning that was a sign to get back to shelter before anyone got sick.

"Ugh…" Kasumi groaned. She didn't want to leave the stadium or Grace…but she had no choice right now. There was a storm coming soon….

.

.

Next Time: The Magic Of a Smile.


	37. Chapter 37: The Magic Of A Smile

The rain was heavy and it was wise to stay indoors. The Kalos group stayed in the Pokémon Center for the evening, their expressions rather sullen after the events of round 3. It was a little hard to remain happy after what happened to Grace, and the fact that Venus was in fact still pulling the strings behind the tournament. "…I hope Grace is okay. I really don't like the idea of her being alone with Venus." Kasumi sat in a chair while crossing her arms. "Especially after all those things she said…"

Lovrina nodded in agreement, letting out a heavy sigh. "I agree…the things Venus said were completely out of line…."

"There's nothing we can do about it either which is the worst part…" Marcus sighed. "I don't believe this…how did things turn out this way?"

Bonnie pulled Squishy out of her bag to see how it was doing in the rain. She knew that it enjoyed sunbathing, and with no sun it just looked like Squishy was asleep for the time being. "…"

"…." Serena could sense the heavy atmosphere filling the air. It wasn't good one bit and nobody would be able to perform at their best at this rate. Glancing around, she went over to Lovrina and pulled her off to the side. "Hey…I need your help with something…!"

"What is it now…?" Lovrina quirked a brow. Serena whispered her plan to Lovrina who immediately refused. "You want me to do WHAT!? No way…! I can't do that! That's embarrassing…!"

"Please…!" Serena pleaded with those eyes of hers that made it hard for Lovrina to say no.

"….Ugh….fine…" Lovrina let out a defeated sigh and hug her head. "You're impossible to deny…"

"Thanks so much!" Without another word, Serena dragged Lovrina off. She brought her to a large, empty room within the center. Glancing around, Serena nodded firmly and gave the thumbs up. "Yes…this room is perfect."

"…Wait…so why did you drag me in here to begin with?" Lovrina placed her hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation. "I'm not singing and dancing in front everyone, you're mad if you think that's happening."

"But…" Serena glanced away. "I know I can't really do much for everyone right now. After what's happened they're all so bumped out and I want them to be able to do their best. I want to do something that can bring a smile to their faces even after everything that's happened…and I can sort of tell you've been bummed out too."

"…." Lovrina shook her head. Serena's goody nature was starting to rub off on her and she didn't like that. "I didn't sign up for this, you know. But I can lend a hand…"

"You're the best!" Serena clapped her hands together. "Okay…so the first thing we're gonna need to do is…"

.

"I just don't get it…" Kasumi tugged at her skirt. "Why would Grace do something so stupid and destroy her own pride!? It was so stupid…! She didn't even say what it was she was fighting for…"

"That's how it is sometimes…" Ash sighed. "Sometimes…people put themselves on the line for their friends or their own personal reasons. I wish I knew what was, too…but all you can do in times like this is trust your friend."

"Well…she got herself taken away by Venus." Kasumi huffed. "I don't think she was thinking about us much at all…" Even though she said that, she knew for a fact that wasn't true. She was just upset by the day's events.

"We'll just have to find a way to strike back tomorrow!" Takeba flexed while placing a hand on her arm. "You can count on us too, you know. Right Scott?"

"Yes…" Scott nodded slowly.

"It's great to know we have your support." Clemont gave a grateful smile.

Looker and Rui soon entered the facility, both a little drenched form the rain. "Ugh…I was hoping we could beat the rain." Rui's eyes then landed on Wes, who was still surprisingly around since he tended to vanish after each round. "Oh, Wes! You're here?"

"Yeah…" Wes nodded. "Looker said he wanted to ask me a few things…"

"How did the search go?" Elizabeth asked, hoping that some results would be produced.

"We found several Shadow Pokémon from the trainers who lost in previous rounds…" Looker trailed off. While the initial results sounded good, there was one catch that proved to be quite the snag on their investigation. "Unfortunately…when asked who gave them the pokemon, it was not Venus."

"Are you serious!?" Bonnie groaned. "How slippery is that woman…? There's no way…"

"They're really good at covering their tracks." Wes remarked while sliding back carelessly in his seat. "So what was it you wanted to ask me, Looker?"

"You recall the first leader of Chiper, correct?" Looker questioned.

"Yeah, Evice. The mayor of Phenac City at the time…it was all just a ruse in the end." Wes responded with a shrug.

"And the second leader, perhaps known as the true leader of Chiper after your departure; he was named Greevil. That was the man responsible for the creation of the Shadow Pokemon codenamed: XD-001: Shadow Lugia. That Shadow Pokémon was claimed to be unable to be purified, but Michael, the one who took Chiper down, also managed a way to save Lugia. In fact…I believe that girl Lovrina was part of Chiper at that time."

"We already questioned her," said Clemont. "She claims she's not a part of Chiper anymore, and so far it seems to be true."

"I see…" Looker stroked his chin in deep thought. "So…with that in mind…it appears as though we have zero leads to go on now."

"Shame….Chiper really knows what they're doing this time." Wes stood up, beginning to walk towards the exit.

"Wes, where are you going? It's raining outside!" Rui warned.

"I know. Haven't really gotten to experience rain yet…Orre's all dessert, you know? And I'm already wearing a coat." Without much else to say, Wes stepped outside and presumably disappeared for the evening.

"….I don't think he's even listening to me anymore…" Rui sighed. "He wasn't so distance back in Orre…I wonder what's happened to him."

"Maybe he's just not that into you…?" …Marcus, there was a time a place. This was neither.

"Pika…" Pikachu just patted Rui's leg in some attempt to make her feel better.

"It appears we've reached a dead end for now…" Looker seemed disappointed. "No matter. We will just pick up where we've left off tomorrow. Until then, I will take my leave from you." With that, Looker departed into the rainy town. When he left, the mood was perhaps more sour than it was before.

"Well…that just great." Elizabeth sighed while throwing herself back in her seat. "We're absolutely dry when it comes to anything concerning Chiper…and this tournament is really starting to become more of a chore than anything else." This attitude wasn't just her either; everyone was starting to feel the same way.

"….."

Silence. Nothing but a dull silence filled the pokemon center as everyone thought over their current situation. At this rate…well, the worst could happen and they wouldn't be able to stop it.

Off in the corner, a disguised Jessie, James, and Meowth were eavesdropping on the conversation. "Chiper really isn't playing any games…" Meowth mumbled. "Nothing the twerps are doing is workin…"

"I see why the boss wanted us to keep an eye on 'em…a slippery bunch they are." James nodded in agreement. "There's got to be a way to make them slip up…of all the times we didn't have a camera."

"A camera…?" That sparked an idea in Jessie's head.

Lovrina appeared with a hand on her hip, shaking her head at the mood in the air. "Geez…I've seen happier people at funeral. Serena wants you in the back room in about 10 minutes, all right? Don't even try to come early, and let out all your pokemon too." Lovrina then proceeded to walk off.

"I wonder what's going on…?" Bonnie tilted her head.

.

After ten minutes passed, the group walked into the large back room that was dimly lit; their Pokémon were out of their balls as Lovrina requested, but things still weren't entirely clear. "What's going on here…?" Marcus questioned.

"No clue…" Ash shrugged.

"Is this some kind of show…?" Takeba tilted her head to the side while crossing her arms under her chest.

Soon, the lights flashed on thanks to Nurse Joy and a small stage was up ahead. On that stage was Serena in one of her best outfits for her Pokémon Showcase; alongside her were Braxien, Pancham, and Sylveon. Surprisingly, Lovrina was also on this stage in her best outfit; her Alolan Ninetails, Roserade, and Gardevoir. The Kalos crew wasn't the only people watching; others in the center walked into the room, immediately recognizing Serena as the runner up from the Kalos Queen competition. [Start playing Dori Dori here if you know what's good for you]

"I hope you all enjoy this special show we have for you today!" Nurse Joy smiled and waved before handing the stage over to Serena.

Serena gave a small curtsey before twirling around; Braxien, Pancham, and Sylveon were the first to run off. "Braxien, Flamethrower!" Taking its beloved stick, Braixen conjured flames on the tip and began to dance around, slowly creating a ring of flame around Serena and the other two pokemon. Once finished, Braxien jumped in the center, dancing with its partners in the middle of the ring of fire. With another twirl, Serena extended her hand to Sylveon. "Fairy Wind!" Slyveon stopped for just a moment, emitting a pink, gentle wind that swirled into a vortex, encasing the flames and sent them spiraling upwards. The Fairy Wind and flames merged together, keeping the trainer and her pokemon dancing in the middle. Now, it was Pancham's turn. "Stone Edge!" Sliding its shades on, Pancham dashed along the inner edges of the tornado before taking a leap forward towards Sylveon, who boosted it up with its feelers. Once high in the air, Pancham's fist shone a bright azure color before it slammed it directly into the stage; blue electrical shockwaves occurred before azure stones rose up from the ground, forcing the tornado of fairy and flame to disperse into beautiful glitters of red and pink, soon joined by blue as the stones exploded and a gentle rain of sparkles fell onto the audience.

"WHOA…!" Kasumi's eyes lit up at Serena's performance. "T-This is just like a Pokémon Contest…and it's so beautiful…!" Dragonite and Blissey agreed with her statement, unable to take their eyes off the performance.

"Was this her idea…?" Elizabeth tilted her head with a smile she didn't even know she had.

"A surprise Serena performance! I can't believe it!" Bonnie was already in love; even after seeing Serena and her pokemon perform so many times, it never got old to her.

"Lovrina, it's your turn!" Serena held her hand out to Lovrina.

"Oh man…I already regret agreeing to this…" Lovrina sighed before starting to dance. She said she didn't dance or sing, but that didn't mean she wasn't any good at it. It was just embarrassing…if Naps saw her now, there was no way he'd ever let her live this moment down. "Ninetails, use Blizzard as we discussed! Roserade, use Petal Dance!" Ninetails and Roserade stood on opposite ends of the stage; Ninetails released a flurry of snow while Roserade unleashed a twister of leaves. These two attacks collided in the center before merging together in a blizzard of frozen, crystalized leaves that rose to the ceiling. Lovrina was in the center, spinning around with her Gardevoir. At some point, Lovrina activated the Mega Stone attached to her wrist, the light shining brightly within the center of the cold vortex. Gardevoir turned into Mega Gardevoir, the light seeping through several areas of the twister before it all exploded. Silver glitters of light covered the entire room and slowly descended down to the audience. The crowd was loving this so far, hooting and hollering for both females on stage. When Lovrina went to take a bow, there was an unmistakable smile on her lips.

"Hey look!" Rui pointed at Lovrina's smile. "Is that a smile? I didn't know she was capable of that…!"

"That's the first time I've ever seen her smile while hanging out with us…" Marcus remarked. "It's a nice smile."

Serena and Lovrina turned to nod at each other. Once they both were on center stage, they began to dance in synchronization with one another, their pokemon flipping and dancing around with them. "Elizabeth, Kasumi, Rui! Even you, Takeba, get up here!" Serena called out to them.

"W-Wait, me?!" Elizabeth pointed to herself. "O-Oh no, you don't want me up there…!"

"Come on, stop stalling and get up there!" Takeba started pushing Elizabeth on stage despite her constant objections.

"O-Okay…!?" Elizabeth had no say in this matter it seemed.

Kasumi was already up there with Blissey and Dragonite, rocking out with her own dance moves. This was perhaps the first time she'd smiled so genuinely in a while…not just her, but the same could be said for everyone! "This is a blast!"

"Right!?" Rui and Plusle were having a blast on stage.

"…" Jessie was watching, and she could watch no longer. She HAD to be on there too, the eyes of the crowd had to be on her. "That's it! I can't stand back and watch this anymore!" Throwing off her current disguise, she fitted herself into something more fitting: the outfit of the Showcase competitor: Jessliee! Along with Gourgeist, she was ready to take on the stage.

"There she goes…" James sighed.

Serena seemed happy and surprised to see Jessliee of all people here all of a sudden. "Jessliee? What are you doing here?!"

"The stage always calls out for me, no matter where it may be!" Was Jessliee's answer; and it was about as straightforward as it was going to get.

"I don't recall allowing this many people on stage…!" Lovrina shot at Serena, who just gave that heartwarming smile of hers.

"But it's fun, right!?" Serena replied.

"Yeah…" Lovrina couldn't even lie about that.

"Now that everyone's here, it's time for the big finish! Braxien, Fire Blast!" Serena pointed her hand up to the sky.

"Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!"

"Plusle; Thunder!"

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"

"Zoroark, Night Daze!"

"Gourgeist, Seed Bomb!"

"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!"

All of these attacks were sent to the air above. They clashed for only a moment before a brilliant white flash blinded everyone for just a second. The moment that flash ended, all of the attacks exploded on one another for a series of rainbow colored fireworks! The crowd was stunned into silence as the glitters of light somehow remained airborne long enough to rain down on the stage and the beautiful ladies that made such an effort possible. As the rain of light slowly died down, the ladies all took a bow after that surprise performance, and the crowd with absolutely wild! Needless to say, this surprise performance was a resounding success!

.

Shortly after the successful performance, the Kalos group regrouped in the main hall of the Center, waiting for Lovrina and Serena to return. Once the two ladies did, a soft applause was given for them. "Not bad, not bad at all!" Marcus grinned. "You guys really killed it out there!"

"I wish Wes was there…maybe that stiff expression would've changed." Rui sighed. "But I had fun nonetheless!"

"Yeah, that was incredible!" Kasumi's eyes were still shining. "I really wish Grace could've been here to see it…Lovrina! I didn't know you were so good at dancing!"

"That was embarrassing." Lovrina turned her head away with an embarrassed red hue on her cheeks. But she could not deny that she had a good time.

"I haven't seen such a performance in a while…it was really good." Scott gave the awkward compliment while rubbing the back of his head. "But I must ask…what was that for? It came from left field."

"It was my idea." Serena perked up. "I saw that everyone was feeling so down after everything that's happened…and I know I can't do much to help. But I wanted to lift everyone's spirits. I know how hard this all is…and the last thing I want is for you all to be so bogged down you can't even do your best. It's a tough road ahead…but we can't give up yet! We'll get Grace back from Venus and find a way to stop Chiper! I know you can do it as long as you're all at 100%!"

"Hah…" Kasumi giggled slightly before patting Ash on the back. "You better claim her before somebody else does! You don't run into this kinda girl every day you know? Seriously, she's a keeper with a smile like that."

"EEEP…" Serena's cheeks flushed and she turned away, all embarrassed at Kasumi's words. Of course, Ash had not a clue what Kasumi was talking about and everyone else just laughed.

"How does he have more juice than me…?" Marcus grumbled.

Elizabeth rested her arm on his shoulder and just nodded in agreement. "You and me both…you and me both.

"So…!" Ash pumped a fist into the air alongside Pikachu. "I'm feeling a lot better now. What do you guys say we take round 4 by storm, beat Venus, save Grace, then get to stopping Chiper!?"

"YEAH!" The rest of the group followed with a rallying cry. Serena's idea was a hit for sure as everyone's spirits were back to 100%. She definitely did her part to help everyone and now she could count on them to do the job without any worry.

Huh…that was odd. Did Lovrina also join in on that rallying cry? She didn't even notice until the last second and quickly backed away. Was that what she really wanted…? No, not like this…but she didn't mind helping everyone else smile. "…These people are making me too soft." Despite her begrudging tone, she never stopped smiling.

.

.

Next Time: Round 4 Begins!


	38. Chapter 38: Round 4 Begins

"That was quite the stunt you pulled." Wes was scolding Venus for her actions earlier in the day. "You put me in a tough spot over there. Just what on earth were you thinking, Venus?"

Venus was acting innocent, giving a slight shrug and a coy smile. "Whatever could you possibly mean? All I did was teach that ungrateful whelp a lesson in where she stands. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"There is when you pull out a mythical beast for your own petty reasons." Wes glared and it was in this moment that Venus realized that she messed up. "You know you weren't authorized to use Suicune in the tournament; only for the operations."

"Yes, she caused quite the stir…" Ein shook his head while leaning against the wall. "Luckily for us, the audience adores Lady Venus, so she escaped without too many questions.

"Well, Rui wouldn't stop questioning me." Wes grunted in annoyance.

"Oh ho, your little girlfriend is still a problem is she…?" Venus crossed her arms. "You could always let me take care of her, you know. Dakim isn't so crude that he'd hit a girl, but…"

"…You are no longer permitted to use Suicune until I say otherwise." Wes ordered while holding out his hand.

Venus gasped dramatically, reluctantly reaching into her dress to give Wes Suicune's pokeball. "Oh…my beautiful water beast…Lady Venus will miss you…"

"Get over it…you'll be fine in the tournament anyway." Wes placed Suicune's pokeball in his pocket. "I don't know what your aim is exactly…but it seems to be working for XD-002. So keep it up."

"But of course. I'll just stick with my lovely Mega-Steelix…it's too powerful for any one of them to take down anyway." Venus gave a flip of her hair. "I'm only just acting in Chiper's best interest. I think you'll very much enjoy what I have planned for this next round and the one after."

"You sound very confident that you're going to advance." Ein chuckled quietly.

"Of course." Venus placed a hand on her hip, a sudden glow radiating from around her body. "This tournament is now mine to control, and the world will see the beauty and power of the ever radiant Lady Venus! My continuous victories will remain on the air for all to watch!"

"Your ego never fails to astound me." Ein shook his head.

.

.

The rain was still pretty heavy in the tournament grounds, but there was nothing that could be done about it. The competitors would have to battle in the rain while those in the audience remained warm and dry. "Good morning everyone!" The host shouted to lift up the mood from the dreary rain. "Welcome to round 4 of our regional tournament! As Lady Venus stated last time, all of the teams have been disbanded and it is now a free for all to the top! After this round, we will be moving to a new location for the top 8 showdown!"

"Ufufufu…" Bringing her sleeve up to her mouth, Venus giggled in excited anticipation. "I can't wait to see the look on those Kalos runts today. They were so crushed yesterday…their expressions were absolutely priceless! I should've taken a picture…it would've lasted much longer. Oh, here they come…!" Venus watched as the Kalos crew entered their side of the stands…and what she saw was not looks of resignation and defeat like yesterday, but…smiles!? "Huh…!?"

"…They look quite happy." Ein tilted his shades down to get a better look. "Huh. I wonder what could've happened."

"No! This is all wrong!" Venus stomped her foot all childishly. "They should be upset and suffering! Easy targets for this round! Oooooooh! What happened!? No, no, that doesn't matter, this won't stand…"

"Temper temper…" Ein shrugged.

.

"I feel so refreshed!" Ash stretched along with Pikachu. The two of them had a big grin on their lips and yawned in unison. "This rain is sleeping weather, though…"

"I wish it wasn't so gloomy…" Rui tugged her jacket a little bit, blue lines forming above her head. "Because I uh, didn't exactly prepare for rainy weather. It doesn't rain in Orre at all, so…"

"We need to get you some more clothes." Serena wagged her finger. "Don't worry, I know a good place. But I'm glad you all are smiling now! This is a much better atmosphere than yesterday."

"Yesterday was a blast!" Kayla nodded with a wide grin.

"I feel so embarrassed…" Lovrina grumbled. "I'm never doing that again."

"Says the one who probably had the most fun…" Rui nudged Lovrina who had an awkward blush on her cheeks.

"Good morning everyone." Diantha appeared before the group, staring up at the clouds above. "It is still gloomy; I see…how are you all faring? You look much more cheerful than yesterday." Diantha gave a smile and Elizabeth nearly fainted on the spot.

"Serena here worked her magic!" Bonnie sounded a like she was bragging about having someone as great as Serena around; but could one really blame her. "I've never seen anyone happier!"

"Oh? I'd love to see this performance of yours sometime." Diantha turned her attention to Serena who became flustered that the champion wanted to see her perform. "Anyways…are you two ready to go?" She turned to Lore and Kayla, who were assisting her in investigating Chiper while Cynthia was incapacitated.

"Evil shall not escape our grasp this time." Lore nodded.

"While the Champion and her assistance secure the interior, my subordinates and I will take a hold of the perimeter to ensure nobody escapes. Rui, can I ask for your assistance once more in this matter?" Looker stroked his chin while staring at their only way of tracking Shadow Pokémon. "All Shadow Pokémon we've encountered thus far have been thoroughly confiscated…we cannot allow any more to slip through the cracks."

Rui nodded, balling both hands into tight fists. "Yes! You can count on me!"

"Excellent. This time I am confident in our abilities to gather some information." Looker gave a firm nod before they all broke to attend to their separate jobs. The International Police were really cracking down this time. Perhaps this would finally be the day.

.

Malva ushered Jessie, James, and Meowth to hurry up with the camera equipment. "Come on, the next spot is waiting. Hurry up." Perhaps following her was a bad idea because it felt like she was a slave driver. The elite four member could not care less, though, for she had a news story to cover.

"W-We're coming…!" Jessie had to lug the boom mic around while James handled the camera, and Meowth (and Wobbefett) had to drag some other miscellaneous items around.

"I regret this decision…" Meowth grumbled.

After a few moments, they finally arrived just inside the arena where James aimed the camera at Malva. Once it was time to start, Malva pointed to the stadium. "Welcome Kalos, Kanto, and all other regions! Today on this rainy day is the fourth round of the regional tournament. Thus far, we've seen an amazing amount of battles. This was meant to be a team effort in the beginning, but the woman in charge, Lady Venus, has elected to turn this into a free for all now. One can only wonder what exciting turn of events await us in the final round before the top 8!"

.

Venus went to the host's stand, snatching his gaudy mic away before tapping on it. "Testing…testing…1 2 3…" Just the sound of her voice was enough to send the crowd into a happy uproar, which is what Venus always loved to see. "Good morning everyone! I hope this dreadful rain isn't putting a damper on your spirits!"

"Great…." Takeba rolled her eyes. "Here comes Lady I Can't Shut Up…"

"I have a special announcement to make! I'm sure you all remember that dreadful little girl that dared to stand up to me from a few days ago, yes?" Venus let her sentence trail off.

Immediately, Kasumi stood up and put her hands on the railing. "…I don't like where this is going."

"Well, after having a VERY long talk with her…we've come to an agreement of sorts. I would like to introduce to you all…" Reaching out to the side, Venus pulled over Grace…who looked way too much like Venus; as in the hair, the outfit…she had a complete makeover. Her physical appearance didn't just change either; there was a somewhat lifeless look in her eyes as she stared blankly out into the distance. "Grace! Or as I like to call her…Mini Venus!"

"….!"

"What did she…" Marcus narrowed his eyes, glaring at Venus.

"That's not Grace…is it?" Bonnie looked at the others with a frown. "She doesn't look right…"

"Well then…" Wes shook his head a few times. This definitely wasn't something he expected Venus to pull out…but he was not surprised.

"I hardly recognized her." Clemont said with a low glare. "…What did Venus do to her…"

"She is now my new subordinate. Come on, Mini Venus, say it!" Venus held the mic up to Grace, who spoke in a rather monotonous voice.

"All hail Lady Venus."

"Ah…what did you do to her?!" Kasumi nearly screamed. Thunder boomed loudly in the distance while that dark aura of hers began to flare up again; she was pissed…and that was putting it lightly.

"How horrible…" Ash could not forgive something like this. How Venus just changed Grace to her own image.

"Mini Venus will be acting as the referee for a majority of the matches, just so you know." Venus stared at Grace, who waved to the ground lazily. "That is all I wanted to announce! And just know that this will be the fate of those who dare to oppose me." That was a direct threat to the Kalos side. She savored that look of anger on their faces, and even snapped a picture in the midst of it so she could always remember this moment. "You're all a wonderful audience! But enough with the waiting, yes? Your Venus promises you the highest quality battles and our first one is…" Spinning some roulette around, two profiles finally appeared on the screen overhead. "Ah ha! Now how about this; two former team mates going against each other! Elizabeth and Wes! This should be a treat for us all."

"Heh…I hope you don't expect me to hold back because we were once on the same side…" Wes didn't even bother glancing at Elizabeth or anything. He just started to make his way to the arena; leaving the others dumbfounded at how unshaken he was at this whole ordeal. It wasn't right how he was just so nonchalant about it all.

Staring at the screen, Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest with a curious expression. "…Hmph." Elizabeth frowned at first. Her expression was caught between upset, happy, and anxious. She was actually really looking forward to having to fight Wes since she never did trust him…but after just witnessing what had happened to Grace after her loss in the previous day, it was a little mind numbing. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out…in the meantime, we just have to rely on Rui and the others." With that said, the blue haired female began to make her way to the arena.

Lovrina watched quietly in slight shock. She wasn't aware of Venus's transformation of Grace and it seemed like it was going too far. That girl didn't have the same fiery look in her eyes from before…it was just dead. What on earth could've happened between them? And further more…there was the matter of the International Police snooping around along with Diantha…there was just no getting away from either of them, was there? Sighing, the pink haired female put her jacket hood over her head and turned her attention to the arena. Whatever was to come next during this day….it was going to be big, that was for sure. "…."

.

.

Next Time: True Colors.


	39. Chapter 39: True Colors

Just a few minutes prior to the battle, Rui met Wes just in front of the hallway. With her arms behind her back, she flashed him a bright smile. "Hello!"

"Rui..?" Wes stopped just in front of her. "What are you doing…? Shouldn't you be with Looker…?"

"I've been doing some thinking…" Almost shyly, Rui took a few steps forward. "I know you've seemed a little distant lately…I guess that's because of this Chiper situation and everything and I don't blame you. But I also take a bit of a blame for that…I haven't been making too much of an effort and maybe seem annoying."

"…" Wes crossed his arms, tilting his head curiously. He wasn't exactly sure what Rui was trying to say, but it was clear she had been thinking over this for a while, so he was going to grant her the time to speak.

"I remember…before you went into the Coliseum I'd always…" Once Rui was close, she lifted herself up on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to Wes's cheek. "Give you a good luck kiss. I dunno if it really meant much to you or not…but you never rejected them."

Wes blinked slowly, moving his mouth around as he was unsure what he could possibly say at this moment, but it didn't look as though Rui was finished speaking. "…"

"I just want to let you know, that I know you're still that same prince who rescued me that day in Phenac. Even if others doubt you like Elizabeth does…I'll always believe in the light in your heart." Rui offered the sweetest of smiles before flexing one arm. "And how about after the tournament and this Chiper business is dealt with…how about you and I spend some time together again, just like in Orre! Plusle and I have gotten a lot stronger!" Plusle then ran up Rui's arm, flexing along with her.

"Heh…" W-What was that…Wes actually cracked a tiny smile. That's right…Rui was perhaps the only person on the entire planet who could garner some kind of position emotion from him. "Sure…if this all ends well. I'd like that."

"Great!" With a nod, Rui started to run off. "Good luck in your match! Win or lose, you'll always be a winner to me! And maybe one day…I can save you, like you saved me…"

"…." Once Rui was out of sight, Wes let out a heavy sigh as the usual scowl appeared. "…If only for you, things could be that simple."

.

Wes and Elizabeth stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, which changed into the grassy-plain arena. They were going to have to duke it out in this somewhat heavy rain, which made Elizabeth groan while looking up at her hair. "Does it have to be raining…? This is gonna kill my hair later…"

"That blue hair…is really tacky…" Grace shook her head, standing on the field since she was acting as referee on Venus's behalf.

"…I refuse to believe that you actually mean those words. So, for your sake, I'm just going to ignore it." Elizabeth frowned.

"…Ignoring the truth…is one way to deal with things…" Grace shrugged casually. Her comment got under Elizabeth's skin for various reasons. "Are both combatants ready?"

"Of course." Wes nodded while drawing a pokeball from his trench coat. "Don't get distracted now. It wouldn't fun otherwise. Feraligatr, standby for battle." Tossing the ball into the air, the capsule opened up and the white light that streamed out revealed Feraligatr.

"Oh, it looks like he's going to take advantage of the rain…" Clemont suggested while adjusting his glasses. "Not a bad strategy."

"I guess I don't have a choice…" With a heavy sigh, Elizabeth called forth her Luxray to gain the advantage, although she knew in some cases that an advantage meant little in some situation. "Very well…Luxray, let's do this."

Grace lifted her hand up while staring at both sides. "Very well. The battle between Elizabeth, the tacky haired leader of Kalos, and Wes…will begin!"

"WOULD YOU STOP THAT…!" Elizabeth shouted with an irritated groan. "Forget it…Luxray, Wild Charge!" Each individual hair on Luxray's mane began to rub against one another, quickly generating static electricity that flared wildly around Luxray's body as the electric type raced forward towards Feraligatr.

"Protect!" A green barrier formed around Feraligatr's body just before Luxray could approach. Luxray just ricocheted of the barrier and tumbled along the wet ground before coming to a halt. "Waterfall!" A heavy trail of water appeared before Feraligatr, boosted by the rain. Gliding along the water, the Johto starter held its fist out and slammed into Luxray for a noticeably damaging hit. Luxray didn't have the chance to recover after bouncing off of Protect, so it took the rain boosted Waterfall as a direct hit.

"Luxray, are you okay?!" Glancing at her partner, Luxray shook off the hit as best it could and made a noise to signify that it could continue fighting. "Great. Thunder Fang!" Around Luxray's maw, a gigantic mouth composed of electricity formed. With its best foot forward, Luxray dashed towards Feraligatr once again.

"Dragon Claw!" Arms extended out, green scales forming along Feraligatr's claws. When Luxray was near, Feraligatr swung both claws down to clash with the fierce Thunder Fang. The two struggled for a moment before Luxray over powered the water type and crunched its electrical jaw into it. Feraligatr let out a growl of pain before pushing Luxray away. "Impressive." Wes remarked with a sly grin.

"Your praise is accepted." Elizabeth responded with a slightly arrogant grin. She couldn't let Wes have any glory after all. "But your Flattery won't confuse me, so don't even bother."

"You really don't like me, do you?" Shrugging, Wes decided to amp things up a bit. "Ice Punch on the ground." Covering its arm in frigid ice, Feraligatr slammed it into the ground. The cold frost quickly spread throughout the damp ground, covering the grassy plain in a layer of slippery ice. Luxray was unprepared so it slipped around a little bit before regaining its footing. "Dragon Claw!" Skating across the ice, draconic claws formed along its hands as the alligator raced towards Luxray.

Elizabeth could see where this was going and she didn't like it one bit. "Luxray, dodge it!" Luxray was unable to gain its footing properly in time. Thus, it was left vulnerable for the Dragon Claw and violently tumbled backwards from the direct hit. "Agh…"

"Ice Punch. Bring this to an end." Wes commanded. Feraligatr prepared to bring this battle to a close with a strong Ice Punch!

Elizabeth had to think and quickly. If she didn't, she'd be at the early disadvantage. "…!" She got it, and it was an unorthodox strategy that she had seen Ash pull of numerous times in situations like these over the course of the tournament. "Luxray; Iron Tail on the ice!" Nodding, Luxray took a leap into the air, its tail shining a bright white. Flipping once, Luxray brought all of its momentum into its tail which is crushed into the ice. The impact shattered the ice, sending large chunks ice flying at Feraligatr to disrupt its movements.

"Hey, nice move!" Ash approved of such quick thinking.

"Wild Charge!"

"Waterfall!"

Luxray cloaked itself in lightning once again, now having secure footing since the around it was forcibly removed; as for Feraligatr, it created a fierce trail of water ahead of it before gliding forward with all its might, boosted by the natural rain occurring. The two lunged at each other full throttle, an explosion occurring only seconds after their collision. A smoke cloud formed in the center of the battlefield and both sides were thrown out of it….unable to continue.

Grace pulled both hands up and held them at her sides. "Both Feraligatr and Luxray are unable to battle! This one is a draw!"

"She was quick on the draw on that…" Marcus tugged at his shirt collar.

.

While examining the perimeter of the tournament grounds with Looker, Rui glanced up at the screen and saw Wes's battle. "Oh, Wes is fighting! I wish I could be watching…" With a melancholy sigh, she returned to Looker's side.

"You seem to have quite the amount of faith in Wes." Looker mentioned. "I suppose it is well placed considering your history together."

"Yes!" Rui couldn't keep her eyes off the screen. "He seems distant and uncooperative, but I promise you that he's a kind person once you break through that reclusive shell of his. He did take out Team Snagem and Chiper all in one fell swoop…and he really didn't have to either. You can trust him."

"That is good information." Looker appreciated Rui's comments. With the faith she had in him, how could he possibly be any bad…?

.

"Thanks Luxray." Elizabeth returned Luxray with a small smile before turning her attention to Wes. "What's up with you…your expression is nowhere near as rigid as usual."

"I'd like to think my stone cold expression is just as rugged as usual." Wes replied while returning Feraligatr. "Have you been watching me that much to notice any subtle changes? My, you're more fixated on me than I thought…Rui would fight you, you know."

"That ISN'T what I meant…" Elizabeth nearly gagged at the thought. Grace quirked a brow while staring at her for some strange reason. "…Don't give me that look."

Grace continued to stare. "…Aren't you-"

"Charizard, let's go!" Cutting Grace off immediately, Elizabeth called forth her trusty partner to battle. Charizard let out a roar even in the heavy rain.

"Who are you trying to fool?" Wes scoffed. "You're not dumb enough to send a Charizard out in the rain."

"…I got flustered." Elizabeth silently admitted. Zoroark's illusion faded away while it looked back to its partner with a worried look.

"Ampharos, standby for battle." Wes flung another pokeball out, calling forth his battle. He was still planning on taking advantage of the rainfall. "Thunder Punch." Electricity crackled around Ampharos's fist and it stampeded forward towards Zoroark. The two pokemon met midway, one throwing punches while the other aimed slashes. Sparks flew from their heated collision! Zoroark ducked a punch before landing a critical slash across Ampharos's chest! "Power Gem!" Ampharos recovered quickly, pointing its tail forward to release a crystal clear beam point blank at Zoroark. It was a direct hit and Zoroark was lifted off its feet and landed on the wet ground on its back. "Now, Thunder!"

"Phara!" Ampharos cried out before using the rain and clouds above to its advantage. In the rain, Thunder had a 100% chance to hit, and that remained true even now. From the dark clouds above, a stroke bolt of lightning dropped down with absolutely no warning to smite Zoroark.

"Oooh! And Wes strikes hard with an amazingly executed Thunder!" Venus quite enjoyed commentary…or perhaps she just enjoyed the sound of her voice on a loudspeaker on echo.

Elizabeth's eyes widened at the well time Thunder. Zoroark writhed around in pain for a moment, but wasn't out just yet. "Are you okay!?" Elizabeth questioned while worriedly staring at her partner. Slowly, Zoroark got up with sparks dancing around its body…it was still raring to go. "Great…! Use Flamethrower!" Maw opened, a powerful stream of flame racing across the raining battlefield towards Ampharos.

"Don't be ridiculous. Ampharos, block it." Wes commanded with a scoff. Ampharos took a defensive stances as the Flamethrower closed in. Due to the heavy rain, the damage it received really wasn't much…but damage wasn't Elizabeth's goal. Steam started to fill the area! "What…?"

"We've got you now! Night Daze!" Zoroark used the steam as cover to hide from sight. As soon as it cleared, it would be too late for the trainer and his electric type. Zoroark threw its arms forward, releasing a beam of darkness that spread into multiple waves. Ampharos was overtaken by the darkness and thrown backwards before landing on its back with swirls in its eyes.

"Ampharos is unable to battle! Somehow, Zoroark wins!" Grace threw her hand up and pointed to Elizabeth and Zoroark.

"Whaddya mean SOMEHOW!?" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at Grace once again. "The heck is wrong with you?"

"Your tacky hair….your voice…your attitude…I could go on…you've told me a lot." Grace tilted her head curiously. She gave Elizabeth that 'do you really wanna do this' look.

"I don't like you like this…" Elizabeth huffed. Her attention went to Zoroark, who fell to a knee. She was about to return it, but the stubborn dark type wanted to continue the fight until it fell and she couldn't refuse its request.

"That Zoroark you have in quite strong…but it seems to be running out of steam." Wes's strange remark came as he returned Ampharos. There was a hint of a grin on his lips…and as stated before, he rarely smiled.

Elizabeth didn't like where this was going. "Yeah…what's with that comment."

"I just want to see…" Extending his left arm out, a pokeball started to form within his palm, fueled by the energy the Snag Machine gave it. "Just how strong it really is!" With an epic toss, the pokeball was thrown towards Zoroark! The capsule opened up and it looked as though a hand appeared and grabbed Zoroark to stuff it inside the pokeball! Everyone was wide eyed as Wes was trying to steal Zoroark!?

"…?!" Elizabeth gasped as Zoroark was stuffed into a pokeball that wasn't hers. She couldn't even form the words…!

"What is he doing!?" Ash stood up from his seat. Pokémon theft was something he could never condone, no matter who it was from.

"Whoa…! Has the Orre Hero returned to his old roots!?" Venus stared with a bit of an excited grin. Even she wasn't expecting Wes to pull this kind of trick.

"Shouldn't you do something about this?! Isn't this illegal!?" Takeba shouted at Venus, who gave an indifferent shrug.

"Whatever could you mean? I still remember my rules: "Anything goes", still apply." Venus responded, which only infuriated Elizabeth.

The capsule stopped shaking and there was the unfortunate chime to let the world know Zoroark had been captured. Walking across the field, Wes grabbed the pokeball before tossing it forward. "Zoroark, let's have a test run." The capsule opened up and there was Zoroark…on the opposing side as Wes' third pokemon.

"I did not think that such a thing was possible…" Clemont was probably shocked the most out of everyone. "Stealing a pokemon from a trainer with another pokeball? I wish I had the chance to look over the specs of that item he always wears…"

"Is there any way to get it back!?" Serena looked at Clemont, hoping he would have an answer.

"Well…" Clemont was just taking a shot in the dark. Without having a chance to study the Snag Machine, all he could do was take a guess. "I assume that it emits a special radio wave that disables what a regular pokeball does. Therefore, there is technically no ownership when the ball is thrown…I believe if the pokemon is to be returned, that's up to Wes. What an extraordinarily dangerous machine…"

"I…I don't think this is the time to be singing that thing's praises…" Lovrina grumbled. She had some bitter grudge against that machine for a number of reasons.

"I knew you were shady…but I didn't think you'd go this far…" Gritting her teeth, Elizabeth had no choice but to bring out her own third as well. "Vaporeon, help me please!" Vaporeon was called forth. Elizabeth hated the idea of having to fight her own pokemon, but Wes was giving her no choice.

"I'm just spicing things up a little bit." Wes chuckled before flicking his wrist. "Night Daze." The weakened Zoroark released yet another beam of darkness towards Vapoeron.

"Water Pulse." Calmly stated, Elizabeth ordered Vaporeon to attack. Vaporeon released a sphere of water that clashed with Night Daze. The two attacks exploded, water flying everywhere as a result. "Aurora Beam!" Rearing its body back, Vaporeon released a sub-zero beam of frost that raced towards the already weakened Zoroark. There wasn't anything Zoroark could do at the moment and it was overwhelmed by the Aurora Beam, landing on its back in defeat.

"That was disappointingly short…" Grace shrugged and sighed. "Zoroark is unable to battle…therefore Elizabeth is the victor and potentially advances to the top 8."

"…Could you sound more dead when saying that…?" Elizabeth shot Grace a glare before returning her gaze to Zoroark, quickly running over to its side. "Are you okay!?"

"Hmph…not as strong as I thought." Wes shrugged before tossing the pokeball into the air, a blue light forming around Zoroark to signify its release. "Oh well…I guess I lost." Shrugging, Wes shoved his hands into his pocket and began to walk off into the darkness of the hallway.

"…What was that all about!?" Bonnie flailed her arms. "I don't understand! Why would he take her pokemon like that and just give it back!?"

"Maybe he was feeling generous…?" Lovrina couldn't explain it either. The audience, Venus, and even Ein were just at a loss for Wes's actions as everyone else was. "That was strange indeed. What the hell are you thinking…? You know that girl is probably watching your fight, too…are you trying to be cool or something…?"

"Well then…." Grace sighed, rubbing her temples in what seemed to be annoyance. "That was a bit of an anticlimactic first match…but I suppose it was to be expected considering…"

"You sure you wanna do this?" Elizabeth stared at Grace. "I'm not in the mood for you right now." Elizabeth returned Zoroark to its rightful pokeball. With a scowl, she began to hurry off as well, taking one glance back at Grace. There wasn't a sign of mercy or life within her eyes…was this truly the new her…? "We're gonna get you out of there…that I promise…"

.

.

Next Time: I Must See It.


	40. Chapter 40: I Must See It

Elizabeth returned to her seat, frustrated in more ways than one. Everyone could understand after how her battle with Wes ended. "Are you okay..?" Serena carefully asked. "Your face is all red…are you upset…?"

"VERY." Elizabeth balled her hands into fist. "How dare he steal my pokemon like that!? Who the hell does he think he is!?" She was very upset…and that was an understatement. "And Grace…she really knows how to press a person's buttons, doesn't she…?"

"Yeah…." Marcus rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly it never happens, but when it does you'll likely be extremely irritated. Sorry…you should just take it easy for now. You won't have to deal with her…or Wes. He hasn't come back yet."

"When he shows his face again I'm punching him in the face." Elizabeth let out a shaky sigh. "Don't worry…I'll be okay…I won't let Serena and Lovrina's hard work from yesterday go to waste."

"You better not. I didn't dance like an idiot in front of everyone for you to not be happy about it." Lovrina huffed. Was that her way of showing concern…? How odd, but it was to be expected.

.

"That was…quite the eventful first round…" Malva wasn't sure what to make the events that just transpired. Looking to her camera crew, they were just as lost as she was. "I believe we witnessed some form of Pokémon theft momentarily…?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Jessie scratched her head, and this was coming from a pokemon thief! "What kind of machine was that…and more importantly why would he just let it go?! And isn't he on their side?" Too many questions were raised by Wes's actions, but not enough answers.

"It's hurtin' my brain just thinkin' about it…" Meowth grumbled. Wobbetfett was going to put its piece in, but due to their shared disguise Meowth had to shut it up quickly.

"Anything goes…as the lady said." James took a glance at Lady Venus, who opted to wave to the crowd. "I wonder if we could make use of a machine like that…where did that Wes character go anyway…?"

.

"This rain is going to ruin my makeup once I step out there…" Venus let out a melancholy sigh while twirling some of her hair around her finger. "I'm not looking forward to that. But I suppose it's time to announce the next match…" With a snap of her fingers, two profiles were shuffled around the screen before stopping. "Oh! Ash vs. Ein? This should prove to be an interesting match! Please don't disappoint me, boys."

Hearing his name called, Ash hopped up from his seat and gave a grin to Pikachu. "Looks like we're up!"

"Be careful…" Serena frowned.

"Of course!" Ash nodded while rushing off to the battlefield. He was indeed wary of Ein from their discussions thus far. The rain still continued to fall, and it didn't seem like it would let up anytime soon…

.

The field changed to the rocky-plain field with some rocks scattered about the field. Ein stood across from Ash, staring at the trainer with intrigue. Even from behind the shades Ash could tell that he was being eyed rather intently for some reason. "You…you are the trainer with that Greninja, yes? I demand that you use it. I will not be taking no for an answer." After he said that, Ein tossed a Pokeball into the air, calling forth his Alazakam. "I must see it for myself."

Ash barely had time to think about who he wanted to use before Ein began prodding him to use Greninja. The young trainer took a glance at Pikachu who nodded in agreement. "Okay…if you want it. Greninja, I choose you!" With a toss of the pokeball, Greninja was called forth, standing in its shinobi stance while feeling at home in the rain. Greninja and Ash took a glance at Grace for a second and they felt…something odd about her.

"Excellent. Thank you for your cooperation." Ein offered a slight smile before pressing the button on his shades. This activated the Key Stone embedded within his glasses which began to resonate with the Mega Stone on Alakazam. "Mega Evolve." Simply spoken, a bright light shone around Alakazam, a shell forming around its body for only a moment. The shell shattered to reveal Mega Alakazam and all of the spoons surrounding it. Ein was not wasting any time.

"Already starting off strong? Then we're just going to have to start off stronger!" Ash grinned as he and Greninja immediately cut right to their synchronization. A pillar of water exploded around Greninja, briefly rising into the air before it dispersed, taking the form of a gigantic shuriken on its back. Ash-Greninja was already here!

"Yes….yes…" Behind Ein's shades, his eyes glimmered in excitement. This strange phenomenon that occurred was unprecedented within his line of research. "This is excellent. To experience this firsthand!"

"He's being really weird about this…" Bonnie frowned.

Hands on her hips, Grace stared at Ein while impatiently tapping her foot on the ground. She only had an umbrella to keep her safe from the rain but it was still cold darn it. "Are you just going to gawk, or are you going to start? I don't want to stand here any longer than need be."

"But of course. My opponent can start." Ein bowed while giving Ash the go ahead.

"Greninja, Double Team!" Within the blink of an eye, Greninja created multiple illusory copies of itself while dashing towards Alakazam, cutting across the field almost instantaneously.

"Charge Beam! Destroy them all!" Alakazam's spoons began to move in a clockwise rotation, releasing thin beams of electricity from each one to take out the copies of Greninja. The copies that were struck turned into a cloud of smoke and soon all of them were dealt with. "…"

"Aerial Ace!" Emerging from the smoke unharmed, Greninja closed the gap between itself and Alakazam while swinging its fist up for a roaring uppercut across Alakazam's chin, following up by taking to the air, swinging its leg down for a fierce axe kick to Alakazam's skull that sent it reeling backwards.

"Focus Blast!" Despite the damage taken, Ein was using this close range to his advantage. Alakazam held its hands forward, releasing a blast composed of fighting energy point blank at Greninja's chest. It was a direct hit and the explosion sent Greninja sliding backwards and made Ash recoil as a result due to their shared bond. "I see…so they both receive damage. It is almost identical to XD-002, without any significant drawbacks…only benefits…" Ein jotted down these mental notes for later before issuing his next command. "Shadow Ball!" Alakazam raised its spoons via telekinesis, all of them releasing a flurry of obsidian orbs in Greninja's direction.

"Use Cut!" After recovering from the Focus Blast, Greninja placed to hands on its thighs to draw two watery blades that resembled kunai. The aquatic shinobi dashed forward, slicing through whatever Shadow Balls threatened to land against it. "Now, Water Shuriken!" Leaping into the air, Greninja grasped the shuriken on its back and hurled it forward with incredible speed.

"…!" Ein froze for a moment and the Water Shuriken landed true, blowing Alakazam backwards since it was also boosted by the rain. "Yes! Yes…very impressive! This is something I need to see more of! Charge Beam!" After recovering from the Water Shuriken, Alakazam released another onslaught of electrical beams at Greninja. This time, a majority of them landed true and both Ash and Greninja were feeling it! The two cringed noticeably in pain, much to Ein's delight; even more so as Alakazam's Special Attack was boosted due to Charge Beam's secondary effect.

"Is he okay? That one looked like it really hurt…" Kasumi asked.

"He's fine…! He and Greninja are a union so they'll be okay!" Serena reassured.

"One more time…! Water Shuriken!" Ash mirrored Greninja's movements, grabbing yet another shuriken from behind its back before tossing it forward like a disc towards the opposing Alakazam.

"Focus Blast!" Mustering all of its energy Alakazam fired off a boosted Focus Blast that skimmed right past the Water Shurken. The two attacks ended up meeting their recipients and an explosion occurred on both sides of the field. When that smoke cleared…both Greninja and Alakazam were down and returned to normal! An unprecedented tie between these two powerful pokemon!

"…." Grace was taken aback a bit. Did Venus put her as ref just to put her in harm's way, because this was getting a little ridiculous. "…O-Oh…right. Both Greninja and Alakazam are unable to battle…this one is a draw."

"Agh…" Ash ended up falling to his rear. Pikachu was obviously concerned, but Ash seemed to be fine. "I'm okay…thanks Greninja…" Ash returned Greninja for a long rest…they still had some training to do, but it was fine since Ash was always getting stronger with his pokemon.

"Excellent. I will uncover the mystery behind this phenomenon and it will greatly assist my research. For that, I thank you." Ein returned Alakazam before sending out his Lanturn. "Now…it is time for me to crush you into the dirt where you rightfully belong."

…Talk about a 180. Ash could feel the malevolent aura radiating from Ein with his words and the rain grew just a little bit heavier. "…Goodra, let's go!" Ash called out his lovable Goodra. Once called out, Goodra smiled and waved its arms around a bit because of being in rain which it loved so much.

"After a spectacular clash between Alakazam and Greninja, we now have Goodra vs. Lanturn! Two pokemon that benefit from being in the rain!" Venus commentated. "Which way will the tides turn!?"

"Goodra, Dragon Pulse!" Goodra reared its head back while gathering energy within its mouth. Lurching forward, the dragon type released a beam of muliticolred energy that soared towards Lanturn while taking the shape of a dragon.

"Hydro Pump!" Lanturn exhaled a tremendously powerful pulse of water towards the incoming Dragon Pulse. Due to the rain, the attack was boosted greatly, yet it still only clashed with the Dragon Pulse and exploded, creating a cloud of grey smoke that filled the battlefield. "Thunder!" Using the clouds above to his advantage, a bolt of lightning dropped down to smite Goodra. It was a critical hit and the Dragon type let out a cry of pain.

"Goodra!? Are you okay?!" Ash questioned, and Goodra gave a slight nod. "Ice Beam!" Goodra pointed its head forward, releasing an electrical-like beam of ice towards Lanturn.

"Dodge, and use Blizzard!" Lanturn swiftly evaded the Ice Beam which froze the ground at its former location. Lanturn then opened its mouth, unleashing a cold vortex of ice and frost that soared across the arena towards Goodra.

"Bide!" Goodra took defensive measures, arms crossed as it took the Blizzard head on. A red aura flared around its body to signify it beginning to gather energy…but would it last!?

"Thunder!" Ein's relentless assault continued. Lanturn dropped another bolt of lightning down on Goodra from above for more damage, all while Goodra attempted to endure it.

"He pulled a complete 180…!" Kasumi gasped.

"Come on, Goodra…" Serena pleaded.

"…This scientist is something else…" Clemont mumbled while staring at Ein intently.

"Tell me about it….." Lovrina uttered those words incoherently.

"Blizzard!" Lanturn was not letting up! Another Blizzard was released and Goodra was beginning to lose its ground against the ice type attack…slowly sliding backwards until it lost its footing and was blown away!

"Goodra!" Ash turned his head in the direction Goodra flew. The dragon landed down on its stomach…but it was not out. Standing back up slowly, the red aura flared around Goodra's body as it prepared to unleash all the energy it gathered. "Nice! Now FIRE!" Goodra roared while unleashing a white beam of pure destruction towards Lanturn that literally sliced through the rocky field.

"…!" Ein's eyes widened as he could not muster a command for this in time. Lanturn was swallowed by Bide's release and tossed into the nearest wall with swirls in its eyes.

"Lanturn is unable to battle! Goodra wins." Grace pointed to Ash and Goodra. Shortly after the victory was proclaimed, Goodra ran out of stamina and fell over, unable to continue fighting itself. "…And after gaining a victory, Goodra is unable to battle…"

"Whew…." Bonnie let out a heavy sigh of relief. "That was too close…but Goodra did amazingly!"

"Oooooh! A close victory!" Venus clasped her hands together. "Ein just can't catch a break today it seems. But it all comes down to this last pokemon! Which one will secure victory for either side!? I honestly can't wait."

"Thanks, Goodra. Take a good rest." Ash returned Goodra before looking down at Pikachu. "I'm counting on you, buddy."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu nodded before hopping onto the field, eager sparks of lightning seeping out from his red cheeks.

"Huntail." Ein returned Lanturn before carelessly tossing another Pokeball forward to call out his Huntail.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu leapt into the air, gathering an abundance of electricity before releasing it all in the form of one powerful bolt that flew towards Huntail.

"Dodge it, and then use Toxic!" Now…no one expected Huntail to move as fast as it did. Before Pikachu's Thunderbolt could even reach, Huntail's body turned into a blur and it was already below Pikachu, leaving both Ash and Pikachu dumbfounded! Huntail spewed a purple, vile glob of toxins at Pikachu which brought it down to the ground, badly poisoning the electrical mouse. "Aqua Tail!" Huntail quickly raced forward, slamming its aqauatic tail into Pikachu's side and sent the electric type through a rock!

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out in concern. Pikachu recovered, but the violent color staining his partner's face told the story.

"How can that thing move so fast…!?" Bonnie asked, hoping someone would have an answer.

"Huntail's ability is Swift Swim. Its speed increases drastically in the rain." Clemont explained. "Now…with Toxic on his side, it's only a matter of time before the poison reaches a point to where Pikachu won't be able to continue."

"Come on Pikachu you can do it!" Bonnie cheered.

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Pikachu gathered electricity on the tip of its tail in the form of a sphere, hurling it towards Huntail…who just dodged it with its blinding speed once again. "Agh…Iron Tail from above!" Pikachu leapt into the air, gathering all of its momentum within its tail to bring it down upon Huntil's skull.

"Ice Fang!" Huntail opened up its frost covered mouth, biting down harshly on Pikachu's tail to deliver some damage. "Give it up." Ein scoffed. "You can't win."

"Oh yeah…?" Ash grinned despite the situation. "I think I've got you right where we want you! Eletroball!" With Huntail's unrelenting grip, it was actually perfect for Ash's counter. Pikachu grinned as lightning formed around its tail, only to explode within Huntail's mouth. Pikachu was freed and landed on the ground, but the Toxic damage was racking up quickly. "Pikachu are you okay?!" Pikachu gave a slow nod…but its answer was highly debatable.

"Aqua Tail!" Speeding across the field once again, Huntail slammed its tail into Pikachu's side, sending it flying backwards until it landed on its side. "That was a cute trick…but you're not going to catch us with that again."

"Pikachu…!" Pikachu groaned…it wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight much longer. Ash glanced around the field for something to use…anything. Then his eyes wandered to the pile of rocks scattered about the field and that's when he got an idea. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground!" Pikachu nodded, pushing itself off the ground before slamming its tail harshly into the area near the rocks. This caused the rocks to fly into the air along with Huntail who sort of floated in the air. "Now Quick Attack!" Faster than the untrained eye could follow, Pikachu began darting along the floating debris in a an unpredictable pattern, leaving Huntail and Ein confused.

"You think a little parlor trick such as that will work? Huntail is still faster if you haven't noticed. Wait for them to slip up and then we'll end this." Ein stated confidently.

Ash waited for just the right moment; right for when Pikachu was above Huntail. "Now, Iron Tail!" Pikachu pushed off the rubble and prepared to swing its tail down at Huntail for a finishing blow.

"There it is! Dodge!" Ein commanded. Huntail shifted its body to the side to avoid the Iron Tail…but it fell right into Ash's trap. The edge of Pikachu's tail caught onto Huntail's neck! "What the!?"

"Got it! Electroball!" Pikachu carried on with the Iron Tail action whilst gathering electricity within its tail. In one movement, Pikachu slammed Huntail down into the ground while a pillar of lightning erupted on contact. Pikachu landed on all fours, panting heavily as the cloud of smoke began to thin from around Huntail.

"…..Huntail is unable to battle. Therefore, Pikachu is the victor and Ash advances!" Grace pointed to Ash and Pikachu.

"…And in a narrow victory, the young Ash takes it from Ein! Ooh, better luck next time!" Venus was definitely going to taunt Ein about this loss at a later date in time.

"Geez…" Marcus let out a sigh. "How's he so good? He's definitely better than me, that's for sure. I never would've thought to do that on the spot like that."

"That's what makes Ash so amazing!" Serena was about to gush.

"Even if you predict his style…he adapts so quickly that it's hard to pin him down. I speak from experience." Clemont smiled at the fond memory of their battle.

.

Ein walked down the hallway slowly. Wes was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "You seem pleased even though you lost."

"I got the information I needed." Ein replied with a grin slowly stretching across his lips. "My research is going to improve drastically because of this. I'm quite glad I lost actually…now I can devote my time to the perfection of the Shadow Project…much like you have, no?"

"You caught me." Wes shrugged. "But things haven't even begun yet…the fun can't be spoiled yet."

.

.

Next Time: The Way It Has To Be.


	41. Chapter 41: The Way It Has To Be

"These battles have been on fire lately! Not as hot as myself of course…" There went Venus tooting her own horn once again. Whoever had the idea of putting such an egotistical woman on the big speaker was going to pay…oh wait, it was her. "How's my lovely little Mini Venus doing down there!?"

"It's cold…" Grace whined.

"But wasn't I so gracious to equip you with an umbrella?" Venus egged Grace on to say a particular set of words.

"Yes…thank you Lady Venus. Your kindness is truly unmatched." Grace nodded slowly and her words just inflated Venus's ego even further. At this rate, she'd have a bigger head than an Alolan Persian with how smug she was getting.

"She's really not budging, is she?" Ash said after returning from his fight with Ein. Everyone was well rested now and could relax for the time being.

"Every time she makes Grace compliment her I want to tear the hair off her head just a little more…" Kasumi grumbled. "She won't even look this way…ugh, when can I get down there! I'm gonna smack some sense into her…"

"Easy now…you wouldn't want to upset yourself." Marcus warned. "You're letting off a wisp of an aura…"

"I've found the threshold for that, actually…" Clemont pulled up the screen that displayed the data of Kasumi and Dragonite. Kasumi's wavelength was rising constantly throughout the day because of Grace, but there was a line at the very top; that was the line she could not cross. "She should be okay…as long as she doesn't get her buttons pressed by anyone."

"Knowing Venus, she'll be pretty handsy with buttons should the time come." Takeba shrugged. "You're all wrapped in some convoluted stuff…wish you didn't drag me into it."

"…You invited yourself." Elizabeth coughed.

"Details, details." Takeba shrugged. "The point is we're here now so we're going to help, right Scott?" The pinkette nudged the tan male, who let out a slight sigh.

"I wish you wouldn't drag me into these incidents either. But I will put my best foot forward and do my part." Scott nodded.

"Hey, you're a psychic right? Tell us how today is going to go!" And then Takeba assaulted Scott by shaking him. "Who's gonna be in the top 8!? Is Venus finally gonna bite the dust!?" …And she shook him too hard to the point where Scott slumped over and his spirit started to escape from his mouth.

"…You killed him." Elizabeth deadpanned.

"No, wait! I can fix this!" Takeba started to shove Scott's spirit back down into his body rather forcefully. It was…a very awkward thing to watch so everyone else elected to turn away. "There we go! All good."

"Not all good." Scott coughed. "I think I died…"

"You'll be fine." Takeba waved.

"Now…let's get onto the next fight!" Venus snapped her fingers for another randomized matchup. This time it stopped on Takeba and Scott. "Oooooooh! This should be a fun one! I'd love to see the ditz get kicked."

"Excuse me!?" Takeba's nostrils flared at Venus's words. "I'm gonna slap her."

"Get in line." Elizabeth scoffed.

.

From rocky field, to sand! The field changed and sand in the rain was already not going to be a fun time. Even Grace was aware of this as she took a few steps back to avoid getting sand…anywhere on her. "…This is already going to be terrible…"

"Gracey!" Takeba bounced forward and waved at Grace. "Come on, you know you don't want to be here! Come on back with us to your friends, yeah?"

"….My allegiance is with Lady Venus. I cannot…and will not go back." Grace replied with the same dead tone she held for the entire day. Even Takeba cringed at those words before waving a hand. "I haven't known you for very long…but I can tell those words aren't you."

"Why are you focused on the referee? Your opponent is here." Scott crossed his arms with an indifferent expression. "There will be another chance to help…I can see it."

Takeba nodded slowly while reaching for the pokeball around her waist. "True…So in the meantime let's make this quick so my hair doesn't get ruined. Dodrio, be a dear!" Tossing a pokeball forward, Dodrio was called out. The three heads of the bird were able to get along somehow, probably due to Takeba's influence as a trainer.

"Here's to a good battle, Takeba. No hard feelings…but I've already predicted myself at the winner. Swanna, prepare for battle." Scott tossed his pokeball up, allowing his Swanna to take free flight within the rain.

"Two flying types against one another! And one enjoys the rain; I wonder how this will go." Venus rocked her head back and forth. This wasn't a battle she particularly cared for so it was hard to stay invested.

"Dodrio, Tri Attack!" Dodrio aimed all three of its head up; once released a blast of fire, the other ice, and the other of electricity in a triangle formation that soared towards the airborne Swanna.

"Dodge and use Air Slash!" Swanna elegantly evaded the incoming Tri Attack, each movement graceful and none unnecessary. Once it was in an ample position, it spun its body in a clockwise rotation, releasing several saws of wind towards Dodrio.

"Drill Peck!" Dodrio stampeded forward across the sand, taking into the air as its body spun around rapidly to take the form of a drill. Dodrio pierced through the incoming Air Slash and struck Swanna directly in the chest, impact causing the swan pokemon to recoil backwards. "How was that!?"

"Oh, so she does have some semblance of a brain inside that head of hers! I'm impressed!" Venus clasped her hands together with a condescendingly sweet smile.

"I'm seriously gonna hurt you." Takeba's eyebrow twitched at Venus's constant slander of her.

.

.

Diantha slowly walked down the corridors of the stadium alone. She parted ways from Kayla and Lore to cover more ground. Due to the screens within the corridors, she was able to see how the battles were progressing. The battle that caught her attention the most was Wes vs Elizabeth…she had questions for Wes…but was unable to find him since that battle ended. She wasn't the only one either; asking around those who were heading to the concessions stands or whatnot, they reported they hadn't seen anything of him either. "…I should've kept a more watchful eye on him. He didn't seem like the type at the time…" The Kalos champion was already having some idea on how things were progressing now, but she could not have her theory without any evidence.

"Me oh my…looks like someone is a little stuck now. What a terrible groove you've gotten yourself into. It won't do at all, oh no!"

"…" Diantha instantly turned around, only to see the ever elusive Miror B dancing in place behind her; along with his two underlings; Trudley and Folly. Taking a step backwards, she narrowed her eyes at the male and his large afro before asking; "You're that Miror B character I've heard about, isn't that right?"

"So you know me well! My groove surpasses even me!" Miror B seemed pleased about all of this, but that didn't answer any questions at all.

"The great Miror B has come to watch this tournament." Folly explained.

"And my oh my have I run into something interesting!" Miror B grinned while jiving in place. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but it just pains me to see that Chiper is still dancing circles around you all after so long."

"…I'm sorry…?" Diantha wasn't quite sure what she was hearing. "Do you know something that we don't?"

"I know plenty of things, sweet cheeks. I know that your outfit and dancing could use a little work. That shirt with those shorts, no no no…." Miror B snapped his fingers. "As a former Admin of Chiper, I've been keeping tabs on them."

"I'd appreciate if you'd keep my attire out of this…" Diantha frowned, but Miror B did indeed have her attention. "You say we've been missing something…and what could that be…?"

"Why my dear…They've been under your nose this entire time!" Miror B chuckled. That information made the actress's eyes widen.

.

Dodrio and Swanna had both fallen in a fierce draw. Now, it was Electrode vs. Krookodile…in the sand. And Takeba wondered why Venus was calling her a ditz, because this was an extremely unfavorable matchup and everyone knew it. But she had a plan! "Electrode, use Rollout!" Electrode began to spin its body rapidly, rolling forward across the sand towards Krookodile.

"You are a fool! Krookodile; use Crunch!" Krookodile did what it did best and submerged itself into the sand. The moment Electrode got close, the sand alligator chomped down on the electric type, pretty much keeping it in its mouth to hold it still.

"Swift!" Electrode grinned before releasing a series of stars within Krookodile's mouth. The series of explosions caused the unovan pokemon to recoil and toss Electrode into the air while it tried to recover.

"Ah…!" Scott's eyes widened at Takeba's plot. Did she intentionally go for the type disadvantage knowing she'd be underestimated!? She definitely had a brain in there somewhere.

"Gyro Ball!" In the air, Electrode began to spin rapidly before colliding against Krookodile to send it skidding back against the sand.

"Sand Tomb!" Even though Takeba was indeed putting up a good fight, the sand was still in Krookodile's advantage. The sand around Electrode started to cave in, slowly dragging the sphere into the depths.

"Whoa whoa!" Takeba glanced around for anything to use. "RollOUT of there!"

"I don't think so! Crunch!" Now Scott had Takeba right where he wanted them. Krookdoile lunged forward, clamping down on Electrode once again, this time making sure to angle the sphere to where it could launch any attacks into its mouth. "This is where it ends."

"…You're right. Electrode, time to do what you do best…." The pinkette snapped her fingers with a devilish grin. The spherical pokemon's body began to shine brightly. Before Scott could usher the command for Krookodile to throw it away, a massive explosion occurred on the spot! When the smoke cleared, both pokemon were down!

"Both Electrode and Krookodile are unable to battle. This one is a draw." Grace shook her head while sighing from the rain. "How did an Electric type draw with a ground type? Someone here isn't as smart as I originally thought…"

"Would it kill you to give me some praise instead of just insulting him!?" Takeba huffed. She could never catch a break. "Thank you, Electrode. You did great."

"Poor Takeba…Venus and now Grace just won't let her have anything…" Serena rubbed her cheek and sighed. "But I thought it was pretty cool that she managed to draw despite the type disadvantage!"

"Not to take another shot at her, but…" Elizabeth began. "But I feel like that's not the first time she's had to deal with a situation like that. She does seem a bit…out there, sometimes."

"Her ears are gonna burn at this rate…" Marcus shook his head slowly.

"Blastoise, it's all up to you!" Takeba threw her last pokeball out onto the sandy field to call forth her Blastoise."

"Manectric let us bring this to a swift end." Scott was ready to bring this battle to a close! One the electric type was on the field, Scott wasted no time in issuing his first command. "Thunder!" Using the rainy weather to his advantage, Manectric conjured a bolt of strong lightning to drop down and smite Blastoise!

"Rapid Spin!" Blastoise tucked itself into its shell, spinning in a clockwise rotation. This picked up a veil of sand that wrapped around Blastoise. When Thunder dropped down, it was completely nullified by the sand!

"Wha…!?" Even Scott could not have predicted Takeba to have such tactical prowess!

"No way!? That was actually impressive?!" Even Venus couldn't think of something to slander Takeba with considering she made a move like that.

"Now, Aura Sphere!" Blastoise stopped spinning, pointing one of its cannons forward to release an azure sphere that rocketed towards Manectric.

"Dig!" Manectric proceeded to burrow into the sand and the ground below. That didn't work so well as the Aura sphere travelled into the pit and exploded, fishing Manectric out from its hiding spot. "Ah…!" Scott grit his teeth. Takeba didn't make it this far through blind luck. That was pretty clear now. "I see that you are quite the tactician…I knew that I was in for a surprise when coming into this battle."

"Does everyone here think I'm an airhead!?" The pink haired woman was really annoyed by all these accusations! She reached into her chest to pull out her Key Stone and began to activate it. "Blastoise, respond to my heart and surpass evolution! Mega Evolve!" By activation of her Key Stone and Blastoise's Mega Stone, Blastoise surpassed evolution to turn into Mega Blastoise!

"Going all out are we? Fine by me…this will be the only way you have a chance to defeat me." Scott nodded while drawing his Key Stone, extending it forward as the energy began to resonate with Manectric's Mega Stone. "Manectric, Mega Evolve!" It wasn't long before Manectric entered its Mega state, sparks of electricity crackling from around its being. "Now…Thunder Fang!" An electrical maw formed along its jaw and the electric type darted forward with incredible speed, latching onto Blastoise's arm for a shocking bite!

"Oh! A clash between Mega Pokémon! Now this should be interesting!? Will the ditz pull it off, or will the psychic win!?" Venus questioned.

"Rapid Spin!" Despite the damage taken, Blastoise had enough energy to withdraw into its shell once again, spinning around rapidly to kick up some sand to block Manetric's view, allowing it to spin forward for a strong hit! "Now, Hydro Pump!" Pulling out of its shell, Blastoise fired off massive vortexes of water from all three of the cannons on its body, watching them soar at Manectric.

"Dig!" Manectric burrowed into the sand once again, but not before kicking up a massive amount that shielded it from the Hydro Pump; the hardened, damp sand acted as a wall that blocked Blastoise's sight from it. "Now, Wild Charge!"

Takeba examined the sandy field closely, unable to spot Manectric anywhere. "Where'd he go!?" Asked and answered, for Manectric emerged in front of Blastoise coated in a fierce aura of lightning. It tackled Blastoise for a super effective hit and forced it backwards quite the distance. "Ah…! Aura Sphere!" Recovering as quickly as possible, Blastoise unleashed yet another Aura Sphere. This one exploded on contact and sent Manectric hurling into the air against its will, completely defenseless.

"Tch…!" Scott grit his teeth. "Thunder Fang!"

"I don't think so! Rapid Spin and Hydro Pump!" Once again, Blastoise tucked itself into its shell, only this time highly pressurized streams of water shot from all sides. The rapid spinning motion created a crescent of water that slammed Manectric into the ground before it could even get a solid attack off!

Manectric tumbled along the ground before coming to a halt. Scott had to use this time to think of a plan. "Blastoise shouldn't be able to take any more hits…it's only a matter of time until it falls…so then I must strike now while the iron is hot! Manectric, are you prepared?!" Manetric nodded and the two were off again. "Thunder Fang!" Once again, Manectric darted forward with a maw of lightning before it.

"You won't get us that time! Aura Sphere!" Blastoise fired off another sphere towards Manectric…only this time it chomped through it and continued on its way! "Wha…!?"

"Now!" Manectric leapt into the air, landing on Blastoise's shell and bit harshly onto the back of its neck. A strong electrical discharge occurred and Blastoise cried out in pain while staggering around.

"Oh! And it looks like Manectric has found a soft spot within that sturdy shell!" Venus added. She was actually getting really into the tail end of this battle.

"Get it off you with Rapid Spin!" Blastoise nodded slowly, tucking away in its shell to rotate away. It did manage to pry Manectric off it this way and even aimed to strike it once again!

"Wild Charge!" Recovering from being tossed, Manectric's body flared in powerful lightning before darting forward yet again. It charged head first into Blastoise's Rapid Spin, where the two clashed for a solid few seconds. This collision lasted until both parties were blown away to their respective sides.

"I think it's time to put an end to this…!" Takeba said while clenching her hand into a fist and bringing it down. "Water Pledge!" Blastoise mirrored its trainers actions; slamming its hand into the sand to create pillars of water that rapidly charged towards Manectric and began to surround it.

"Manectric; Thunder!" This was the time to strike! Manectric called forth a bolt of lightning from the cloudy heavens above to drop down on Blastoise! Just then, the pillars of water converged and exploded around it just as Blastoise was shocked by the powerful lightning! Explosions occurred on both sides of the field, leaving the result of who was left standing unclear…!

"Uhm…" Grace looked between both sides, confused on what she should even be calling. As the smoke began to thin…both Blastoise and Manectric were down and returned to their original states. "Both Blastoise and Manectric are unable to battle…! This battle is a draw! …wait…what happens now?"

"Whew…" Venus let out a relieved sigh. "Quite the intense battle! Nothing I couldn't easily overshadow when trying my best, but we have to give the spotlight to those onstage I suppose." She said that…but kept the camera focused solely on her. She couldn't let anyone have anything, especially Takeba. "Now this is a pickle…I didn't anticipate a draw. Now I'm going to have to see what this means for the Top 8!"

"A draw...?" Scott stood in shock. "...This was the result I did not predict...I was certain I was going to win...what did I do wrong...?" He then stared at Takeba and realized something...she was a lot smarter than she played herself off to be, and that played into a lot of things so far in the tournament. "...Clever girl."

"Whew….the stress these battles contain are shaving years off my live…" Marcus said with a hand on his chest. This was starting to become too much for his heart to handle. The rain continued…it wasn't going away anytime soon.

.

.

Next Time: Rainsong.


	42. Chapter 42: Rainsong

BOOM!

Thunder echoed out in the distance. Kasumi yelped and clung to the nearest person that happened to be Marcus. "…S-Sorry…" Someone had a little fear of thunder. "I wish this rain would go away…it's harshing my mellow, man…!"

"It's fine." Marcus waved a hand at Kasumi's sudden panic. "…There are only two matches left for round 4. I can only imagine what kind of trick Venus is going to pull at the last second…"

"She's planning to pull the rug out from somebody, that's for sure…" Elizabeth tapped her foot, staring at the woman on the stands very annoyed. "Somebody needs to put her in her place and soon…I'm getting real tired of that attitude."

"Me too…" Serena huffed. "She's always giving Takeba such a hard time, but she's really smart!"

"I know, right?" On that cue, Takeba appeared while wringing out the water from her hair. "Venus is such a petty woman. You guys think I'm smart, right?" She asked as those green eyes of hers looked to the others pleadingly.

"Yeah!" Ash grinned. "You pulled off some really nice battle tactics! I think I learned a thing or two."

"Yes!" Takeba took Ash's praise as a sign that she was indeed smart!

"…You still haven't noticed that your shirt's on inside-out." Elizabeth pointed out. There was an awkward silence as everyone actually glanced at Takeba's pink shirt only to see that she was indeed wearing it backwards.

"…..AAAAAAH!" Takeba yelped while wrapping her arms around her chest. "Don't tell me everyone was staring and didn't say anything!?"

"I can't promise you that I wasn't." Marcus mumbled.

"Why do I hang around you people again…" Lovrina pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Don't act like you don't like us." Bonnie teased.

"Shirt issues aside…nobody was expecting a draw, that's for sure." Elizabeth nodded.

"I concur…" Scott found his seat. "I was expecting another victory, but I was proved wrong. Now we have to wait and see what Venus is going to do about that draw. We can't very well have a top six."

Speaking of Venus, she had another announcement to make. "Ahem! Attention my lovelies! We only have two matches left for round 4! I'm sorry this is happening on such a dreary day, but the show must go on! Isn't that right, Mini Venus."

"…I'm still cold." Grace mumbled. "But yes."

"See! Now then…onto the second to last battle of todaaaaay…!" Dragging on, Venus shuffled the four remaining profiles around before landing on two; Marcus and the unmasked Cravix. "Oh, this should be a good one!"

"Looks like I'm up…" Marcus began to stretch before heading out.

"Good luck!" Clemont waved.

"Good luck." Lovrina also waved, glancing off while crossing her arms. "Cravix, huh…"

.

Looker and Rui were outside…surrounded by a few Chiper Peons and their various pokemon. The two of them glanced around to see they were a little outnumbered, but their suspicions were only being confirmed. "It appears they've decided to show themselves…" Looker muttered.

"Does this mean they're involved in the tournament…?" Rui questioned while Plusle was on her shoulder. "Or does that mean they don't want us snooping around here anymore? We must be close to uncovering a secret!"

"Not sure what you're going on about…" Naps, the leader of this charge, spoke. "But we've orders to ensure that the International Police keep their nose out of our affairs…by any means necessary. The boss has had enough of you all lurking around."

"So they're still keeping a lid on their secrets." Looker shook his head. If anything now was the chance to try and pry information out of them if he could. "Croagunk." Calmly spoken, Looker threw out a pokeball to call forth his trusty Croagunk. "Let us not linger here too long. Are you able to battle?"

"Mhm…" Rui nodded while Plusle leapt from her shoulder onto the wet ground, electrical sparks protruding from its cheeks. "We can fight!"

.

"So kid…" Cravix questioned with a sneer, standing behind his Machamp on the regular terrain field. "You think you have what it takes to take me on?"

"Pfft. I didn't come this far just to lose." Marcus scoffed with his Rhyperior at the ready despite the weather and type disadvantage. Although there was one thing that bothered him…Grace was exchanged for the regular referee. "…Wait, where did Grace go?"

"Oh…" Venus filed her nails while answering Marcus's question. "I think she was starting to sneeze and catch a fever, so I sent her to rest. I'm not some heartless monster like your side likes to think."

"Lady Venus is so generous!" The crowd started to cheer for her for such a simple action. That had to be a trap to throw some shade while boosting her ego at the same time.

"Or perhaps she didn't want two of Grace's closest friends anywhere near her..." Takeba deduced before anyone else even had the chance to speak. "I don't know what's going on with that girl, but it's the only logical conclusion I can draw…"

"You're trying too hard." Lovrina shook her head.

"Whatever…" Marcus shook his head before starting off the battle. "Rhyperior, Hammer Arm!" With that command, Rhyperior lunged forward and lifted up its bulky arm, aiming to crush Machamp with its immense weight.

"Catch it, then toss it away with Vital Throw!" Cravix demanded. All four of Machamp's arms caught Rhyperior's; the ground caving in from the force the rock type used. Machamp then tossed Rhyperior across the battlefield with its superior strength. "Then, Focus Blast!" Gathering energy within one palm, Machamp unleashed a yellow sphere towards Rhyperior that exploded against its body.

With the smoke cleared Rhyperior was still standing, looking pretty unscathed from the attacks. "That all you got?" Marcus questioned with a cocky quirk of the brow.

"No damage!?" Bonnie stood up in her seat.

"No, it took damage." Clemont said while adjusting his glasses. "Rhyperior's…"

"Rhyperior's ability is Solid Rock!" Takeba stole Clemont's thunder with no qualms whatsoever. "Solid Rock reduces super effective damage. Rhyperior is already a rather durable pokemon, so Solid Rock just enhances its defensive capabilities!"

Clemont just stared at Takeba with an awkward smile. There really wasn't much he could've done since she stole his usual shtick. "…Y-yeah…that."

"Machamp! Cross Chop!" Machamp crossed all four arms and began to dash across the wet battlefield towards Rhyperior. Once a few yards away from the behemoth, the fighting type pushed off the ground and lunged at Rhyperior!

"Rock Wrecker!" Rhyperior extended its arm out in preparation for its signature move; a small rock formed within its palm and steadily began to grow larger and larger. Although it was risky, Rhyperior allowed Machamp's Cross Chop to connect. Thanks to Solid Rock, the damage was reduced and now that it was close there was absolutely no escape for it. The rock shattered upon impact and Machamp was sent soaring backwards!

"What the…!?" Machamp landed on the ground with swirls in its eyes, easily KO'ed by such an attack. Cravix was at a loss for words as his Machamp was easily disposed of!

"Machamp is unable to battle! Rhyperior is the victor!" The referee pointed to Rhyperior.

"Woohoo!" Kasumi cheered. "That's what I'm talking about! A one shot!"

"That Rhyperior is crazy strong!" Ash spoke with a gleam in his eyes. "Solid Rock…and all that power! I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"

"It's strong…" Clemont began. "But just because all that damage was reduced does not mean it did not hurt. Surely it will begin to add up…"

"That Rhyperior is quite the powerhouse…" Venus admitted. She had no problem giving praise to anyone else. "But it would never match up with my Steelix in a one on one." …No problem praising anyone else because it always led to her unhealthy habit of egocentricity.

"Machamp, return…" Cravix grit his teeth before calling forth his second pokemon; Jellicent (Male). The Water/Ghost type was going to be making great use of this rain. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything Marcus could do because Rhyperior was suffering from the recoil and recharge of Rock Wrecker. "Take it out with Hydro Pump!" Jellicent released the high pressurized beam of water towards immobilized Rhyperior. It was a direct hit and it sent the massive pokemon flying back until it hit a wall! Ko'ed, of course.

"Rhyperior is unable to battle! Jellicent is the victor!" The referee pointed at Cravix.

"Nice job Rhyperior." Marcus returned Rhyperior with a smile before sending out his next pokemon; Dewott. Upon being called out, Dewott crossed its arms while standing comfortably within the rain. "Dewott, Ice Beam!" Dewott opened its mouth, releasing a laser-like beam of ice towards Jellicent.

"Will-O-Wisp!" Spheres of purple flame formed around Jellicent's body. These flames rushed towards Ice Beam. Ice and Fire, an age old clash with various results over time; the result this time would be a draw! An explosion occurred and spread out across the field, creating a cloud of smoke in the center of the arena.

.

"Plusle, Electro Ball!" Plusle leapt forward off Rui's shoulder, gathering an abundance of electricity within its plus shaped tail. Swinging its lower body forward, the tiny electric type shot this sphere forward towards several of the Pokémon before it. A few of them were struck while others managed to dodge and lunged at Rui and Plusle. "Ah…!?"

"Croagunk, Poison Jab!" Looker commanded to cover for Rui. Coragunk's movements were incredibly sleek and the rain assisted it greatly. Croagunk's fingertips shone in a bright violet hue before it lunged forward, swiftly chopping down the Houndours, Zubats, and Skorupi's that threatened to attack Rui.

"Whoa…" Rui stared in amazement at Looker and Croagunk's response and movements. You could tell they were extremely experienced in this field.

"Gah…what the heck!?" A Peon took a step back while staring at Looker and Croagunk in amazement. "I didn't know they were this good…! Let's get out of here…!"

There was a collective group nod as the Peon's started to disappear into the rain and the city. But Rui wasn't going to let them get away so easily. "Don't let them escape! Quick Attack!" Plusle took a runner's stance before quickly lunging forward, tackling a poor Peon onto his back. That poor Peon also happened to be Naps once again. Plusle stood on his back with a proud grin on its face.

"Oogh…" Naps could barely lift his head up while watching as his fellow Peons ran. Just his luck.

"We finally caught one." Looker gave Rui and Plusle a nod of appreciation before picking Naps up to restrain him. "Now then…I hereby place you under arrest in the name of the International Police. You're going to tell us everything you know about Chiper and their plans. And about Venus as well. It's about time we confirmed out suspicions about that as well."

Naps grunted while trying to escape Looker's grip, trying to use the slipperiness from the rain to escape. But there was no way; he was surrounded no matter what he did. Lovrina would never let him hear the end of this…especially because she was the one who tasked him to distract/handle the International Police. "Agh…! I'll never talk!" He said with a higher pitched groan as Looker twisted his arm a bit.

"…I think I know how to guys like this to talk…" Rui grinned while cracking her knuckles. "…After we find someplace dry. I think I'm gonna get sick…" She was really regretting her clothing of choice.

.

The battle between Dewott and Jeillicent was extremely even; both sides were giving it their all! "Shadow Ball!" Jellicent released a glob of shadows towards Dewott that rocketed towards the water-type across the field.

"Now! Night Slash!" Dewott darted low along the ground, reaching for the scallops on its thighs. As the Shadow Ball neared, Dewott brandished a dark blade from a scallop, slicing through the Shadow Ball like butter. Continuing its rush down, Dewott leapt high into the air with its secondary blade raised, crushing it into Jellicent's skull for a super effective finish!

"Jellicent is unable to battle! Dewott is the victor!" The referee pointed at Dewott.

"Wow, Dewott's really strong." Bonnie commented.

"Quite the tough one, actually. Annoyingly stubborn and fast." Kasumi corrected.

.

"You didn't know?" Miror B asked while snapping his fingers. "Chiper has been watching you this whoooooole time. They knew the groove to your dance, do you understand me?"

"Partially…" Diantha wasn't entirely sure how to properly respond. She didn't want to risk saying anything that would cease Miror B from leaking such vital information from her.

"Venus is such a sly one. That vixen will do anything for attention. She controlled The Under for a long time and ever since then she's needed the attention of others to truly thrive. It's a feeling I understand. My dancing can only be appreciated by true connoisseurs of the art." Miror B added that last part with a grin.

"That's right! The boss's moves are unmatched!" Folly quipped but was quickly shushed.

"What does this have to do with Chiper, exactly…?" Admittedly, Diantha was growing impatient. It was as though Miror B enjoyed beating around the bush.

"Oh, right!" Miror B jived in place. "I'm sure you're aware of that girl. She's got a code name: XD-002. Originally, the Shadow Project operation was meant to be on somebody else, but that girl got in the way from what I heard. But ever since that glorious outbreak in the first round, their eyes have been on her, you know."

"How do you know all of this…!?" Diantha could no longer ignore the elephant in the room. This information was limited to the Kalos Group and International Police as far as she was concerned. "Are you a member of Chiper?"

"Oh heavens no!" Miror B responded with a shake of his head.

"We ditched that organization." Trudley clarified. "But we still keep tabs on it."

"More importantly, don't you find it funny how these matches have all ended up?" Miror B gestured to the screen that displayed the current fights. Marcus and Gallade finally triumphed over Cravix in a clean 2-0 victory. "Nearly all of Kalos and those who remain have battled, yes? But tell me…which pair has yet to battle?"

"Which pair…?" Diantha briefly pondered the thought before it hit her. Eyes widened, but Venus said it all for her from the monitor.

 _"_ _And that's nearly all of the battles in round 4! Thank you all for sticking with us through this terribly rainy day. But there's one more battle before our final top 8 can begin!"_ Venus's voice echoed throughout the entire stadium, even for those on the outside. _"The last battle for round 4 is…"_ The profiles shuffled around before landing on Kasumi and Venus; the only two who had yet to battle thus far. _"Oooooh, what a surprise! I hope you'll be watching, Mini Venus! This one is for you~"_

 _"_ _LADY VENUS!"_ The crowd roared. They could be heard from practically everywhere.

"Kasumi..! Oh no…you're not saying…" Diantha turned her attention to Miror B, who simply nodded (and his fro jiggled in the process).

"Oh yes. That woman will do whatever it takes to ensure another outbreak happens. You saw what happened last time, yes?" Miror B was referring to Kasumi's fever pitch in round one, when she nearly killed Dakim and his Swampert had she not stopped herself. "If something like that were to happen again, I don't think that poor girl's heart would be able to handle it. It would be an oh so terrible situation."

"She can't fight Venus. I won't allow it." Diantha was going to have to intervene somehow. She didn't have the time to listen to whatever else Miror B had to say. If Kasumi's power was forcibly drawn out again…

.

"WHAT!?" Rui and Looker's eyes widened at the information Naps leaked. "We can't let that happen…!" Rui turned to Looker. "If she's pushed to that limit again, her heart will surely shut down and she could die!"

"Venus is truly willing to go that far for an experiment…?" Looker stroked his chin in deep thought. But now was not the time for such a thing. They had to do something about that battle otherwise.

.

.

Kasumi and Venus stood across from one another on the grassy field. The Kalos crew was all leaning forward in their seats anxiously. They didn't want her to do this, but there was little choice in the matter. Thunder cracked once again and Kasumi flinched, although this just gave Venus another opportunity to speak. "Does my overwhelming beauty strike fear into you? It's okay, dear, Not everyone can stand in the face of such perfection and not cower at their own flaws."

"…The sound of thunder is more appealing to my ears than your voice." Kasumi spat.

"Sassy." Venus shrugged before speaking to the audience. "Attention my dears! I believe that there are some people who wish to interrupt my battle with this less than beautiful woman and myself. So please, those not in the audience, you'd stop them for me, right? Even if it is the Champion of Kalos, I am your Venus?"

"YES!" The audience cheered mindlessly.

"She's got them eating out of the palm of her hand…" Marcus groaned.

"I do not like where this is going…" Scott muttered.

Once glance at Clemont's monitor and one could see Kasumi was already on edge. Her emotions began to spike slightly but it was nothing to worry about yet. "…."

 _"_ _Venus…what are you thinking…?_ " Lovrina thought to herself.

"Where's Grace?" Kasumi demanded to know.

"You mean Mini Venus? She's relaxing elsewhere in this facility, watching the battle was we speak." Venus responded calmly. "Why do you ask? Do you miss your little friend?"

"…I'm going to make a bet with you like she did." Kasumi's words caused the tension to grow. "Friends put themselves on the line for each other…I don't know what she was doing, but I know it was for me. So I have to help her in any way I can. If I beat you…I demand that you release her immediately…and that you leave this tournament so we can go back to having fun. You will relinquish your rule as soon as your last pokemon goes down, understand?"

"Oh ho ho ho!" Venus brought her sleeve up to her mouth and giggled. "What a bold bet! And if you lose, you will become Mini Venus #2?"

"…If those are your demands." Kasumi would agree to that.

"Not again…" Marcus clenched his hand into a fist. He couldn't bear the thought of losing another to Venus like that and only watch.

"Then we have ourselves a deal!" Venus's cheery gaze then shifted to that of a predator. Her gaze pierced through Kasumi's soul as she uttered the words; "You've made the biggest mistake of your life, XD-002. But it's okay…because you aren't coming out of this battle yourself anyway."

.

.

Next Time: All Of My Fears.


	43. Chapter 43: All Of My Fears

Grace sat in a secluded room within the stadium. She had a clear view of the arena and those dead eyes of her stared at Venus and Kasumi. She could assume the reasons why Venus sent her off towards the end of the day. It wasn't out of the kindness of her heart that was for damn sure. But as Mini Venus she didn't have any choice but to oblige. She lost the bet fair and square due to her own weakness…and now Kasumi was about to suffer for that weakness and there wasn't anything she could do but watch things play out. "I'm…sorry…"

.

Venus held out a Love Ball, grinning under her veil towards Kasumi. "The best part about this battle is that everyone will witness your defeat on live TV! Every single region will witness Lady Venus crushing he shadow monster that threatens lives! I'll be known as a heroine by the time this battle is over."

"Tch…" Kasumi was already angry enough; she didn't need Venus egging her on like this. It was intention and she knew it, but that didn't mean those words and her attitude didn't get under her skin. "Shut up. Let's get this started already…." Kasumi pressed the button on her pokeball before tossing it forward. "Lucario, let's go!" Tossing the capsule forward, the neon blue light emitting from it revealed Kasumi's Lucario!

"As you wish!" Venus giggled once more before tossing the pink pokeball forward. "Bruxish, come out dear!" From the capsule, several pink hearts floated out from the sphere, taking the form of this currently unknown fish Pokémon!

"What the heck…?" Kasumi lifted a brow very curiously. "What is that thing…?!"

Serena pointed her Pokedex to Bruxish curiously. Although when she tried to scan it, she got a message saying: _No data._ "Huh….?" The kalos princess tilted her head to the side as the Pokedex had no reading on Bruxish. "No data…? What the heck is that thing then? Is it not from Kalos…?"

"Oh…! I know that thing!" Lovrina pointed. "It's ugly as heck isn't it?"

"They do say pokemon end up resembling their trainers at some point." Elizabeth quipped with a snarky smile.

"Shots fired…" Marcus said while rubbing the back of his head. It was then that he got an idea in his head and he tugged on Elizabeth's arm. "Hey…! Let's go find Grace. I don't trust Venus to keep up her end of the bargain…so we have to get the drop on her in case she tries something."

"Oh…?" Elizabeth liked the sound of this idea. "But what about Kasumi…?"

"We'll monitor her." Clemont nodded firmly. "Don't worry about it!"

"Let's go then…!" Elizabeth was suddenly the eager one in this plan and dragged Marcus off into the hallways to find Grace. Anything to spite Venus was a good plan in her book…and she was just going to have to just put her faith in Kasumi to win in the meantime.

Lovrina on the other hand…she didn't possess such faith. Painted lips curved down into frown as Marcus and Elizabeth ran off to find Grace. The admin's focus went to the battle about to occur, letting out a heavy sigh in the process. "Venus…don't do it…"

Jessie pointed the camera at Venus and Kasumi. She wasn't sure what to expect from this battle, but even Team Rocket was nervous just thinking about it. "I hope that twerp knocks that smarmy smile right off her lips…" Jessie grumbled enviously. Venus was getting all the love and attention for the past few days now and it was just irritating her to no end.

"You can have the first move, darling." Venus taunted while snickering.

"Don't patronize me." Kasumi grumbled before issuing the first command of this long awaited battle. "Lucario! Extreme Speed!" Lucario's entire form vanished, appearing as a blur to the naked eye as it darted across the battlefield, sprinting towards Bruxish with incredible, unmatched speeds!

"No don't do that…!" Lovrina warned but it was far too late.

"Tsk tsk…How disappointing…" Venus checked her nails while shaking her head disapprovingly. "Bruxish…please be a dear." The Chiper admin waved her head with uninterest. Lucario was just about to hit Bruxish when its scales began to shine brightly, blinding Lucario while effectively shielding it from any contact. "Aqua Jet." Water flared around Bruxish and it jetted forward, slamming into Lucario's midsection. The rain boost only amplified the damage and Lucario was sent tumbling along the damp ground before coming to a halt just before Kasumi.

"W-What the hell was that!?" Kasumi wasn't sure what she was dealing with, so of course panic was her natural reaction.

"The unknown is scary, isn't it? I find it to be quite beautiful." Venus giggled in response to Kasumi's panic. "Bruxish is a pokemon not from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, or Kalos. It is a pokemon from another region that I just HAD to make my own. It's ability is so Dazzling I couldn't help myself."

"Huh…?" Ash tilted his head, not understanding what Venus said at all.

"Bruxish has a very unique ability…it's called Dazzling. It can protect itself from moves by emitting light from its body." Lovrina explained.

"How do you know so much about this thing…?" Takeba questioned.

"…I, uh…I've been to that region where Bruxish is from, is all! That's where I got my Ninetails after all." Lovrina nodded a few times to get the heat off of her.

Kasumi couldn't stop now. She at least had an idea of what she was up against. "Okay…Lucario, use Bone Rush!" Lucario brought its paws together before bringing them apart, creating a bone composed of energy within its grip. Lucario then rushed forward, raising its bone to swing it at Bruxish!

"Bruxish~" Venus sang her command. Once again, before Lucario could get close, Bruxish's body emitted a dazzling light once again that blinded the aura pokemon, stopping it just short. "Psychic Fangs!" A pinkish maw appeared before Bruxish's ugly teeth. The unknown pokemon then lunged forward, biting fiercely onto Lucario's arm.

"Ah…!" Kasumi was just continuing to be caught off guard! These new moves and abilities were throwing her off her game. "Get it off you with Aura Sphere!" Lucario generated a blue sphere within its free paw, thrusting it forward at Bruxish at point blank range. The Aura Sphere exploded and forced Bruxish to release, flying backwards before it caught itself. The rain was its natural habitat due to being a water type which put Kasumi at a disadvantage. "Tch…"

"What's the matter? Scald." Venus commanded once more. Bruxish unleashed a high pressurized, high temperature blast of water directly at Lucario.

"Lucario, deflect it with Bone Rush then keep attacking!" Lucario held strong onto the bone it conjured. Twirling the bone in a rapid clockwise rotation deflected the incoming Scald. Lucario then sprinted forward to strike Bruxish.

"Are you stupid or something? Bruxish." Venus scoffed while waving her hand. Bruxish emitted that light once again…but Lucario just kept running forward! "W-Wait a second!" Lucario came to a stop just in front of Bruxish, swinging the bone in its hands like a golfclub! Bruxish took the direct hit and flew into the arena wall behind Venus, swirls in its eyes to signify its KO!

"Bruxish is unable to battle! Lucario is the winner!" The referee pointed at Kasumi.

"What just happened!?" Venus pouted while stomping her foot.

"Lucario doesn't need its eyes to see. I just needed to test the waters and see exactly what it was you were doing with that thing." Kasumi responded smugly. "Once I figured it out, Lucario merely had to read that thing's aura to pinpoint its location."

"Atta girl!" Takeba cheered.

"3-2! She could win this easily! Venus doesn't seem so bad after all." Bonnie was starting to become a little too positive here.

.

Marcus and Elizabeth ran down the hallway in attempt to find wherever Grace was being held. In the midst of their run, Diantha quickly rounded a corner and ended up passing them! Elizabeth halted and had to take a moment to stare at Diantha as she ran away…but she was also present for as quickly as she appeared! "…Was that Diantha?"

"FOCUS." Marcus shouted.

"Right right! Sorry…!" Elizabeth shook her head, patting her cheeks before getting back into the game and followed behind Marcus. "She has to be around here somewhere…!"

.

"Return Bruxish." Venus sighed while withdrawing her defeated pokemon.

"Lucario, return." Kasumi followed suit, trying her best to keep her lead on Venus by any means possible. "Blissey, I choose you!" Kasumi's next pokemon of choice was her beloved Blissey! The nurse pokemon flexed as it usually would before glaring at Venus.

"Delcatty, be a dear." Venus called forth her Delcatty. This immediately left Meowth with a bad taste in his mouth from their last encounter during the Mewtwo capture.

"Lady Venus! Lady Venus!" The crowd cheered. Even though Venus was behind they still had faith that she would come out on top, much to Kasumi's chagrin.

"Delcatty, Doubleslap!" Decatty purred before galloping forward across the rainy field. Once close to Blissey it began to swing its trial back and forth across Blissey's face for damage.

"Hey! Knock that off! Blissey, use Ice Beam!" Blissey had to take a few more slaps to the face before it regained composure. Shifting its body to the side, Blissey unleashed a point blank beam of ice right at Delcatty's midsection! The direct hit made Delcatty slide backwards and cringe in pain.

"Yeah, show that cat who's boss!" Meowth found himself cheering for Kasumi's success, which granted him some strange looks from James, Jessie, and Malva. "…I didn't say anythin'."

"Delcatty, use Thunder." Venus lifted her hand into the air. Just as everyone else before her, she was going to make use of the rainy weather to drop a powerful bolt of lightning onto Blissey for a direct hit! The bolt of lightning was strong indeed, but Blissey held on strong despite the damage!

"Blissey, are you okay!?" Blissey had sparks dancing around it body, but it was fine nonetheless. "Okay, great! Egg Bomb!" Blissey picked up the egg in its pouch and hurled it at Delcatty! The egg exploded in front of the cat's face and it slid backwards as a result from the powerful blow. "Ah ha!"

"You're an annoying brat…" Venus scoffed. "Use Assist!" Delcatty nodded as several paws appeared around its body. This pokemon began draw from one of the many moves within Venus' three team roster. The move that was selected? Bruxish's Aqua Jet. Water wrapped around Delcatty and it lunged forward, smashing its head into Blissey's frame. The rain boost only suited to place addition damage onto Blissey as it slid backwards a bit.

"Oof…how annoying…" Kasumi grunted before getting an idea. "Blissey, Ice Beam on the rain!" Blissey lifted its head and fired a beam of ice into the air. The cold temperature caused the rain to condense, turning into droplets of hail that pelted onto Delcatty fiercely!

"Hey! Enough of that nonsense! Delcatty, Iron Tail!" Decatty had to shake the damage from the makeshift hail off its body. With its tail shining a bright whine color, the cat leapt into the air while swinging it directly at Blissey's side.

But this was exactly the moment Kasumi was waiting for! "Seismic Toss!" Kasumi snapped her fingers. The moment Delcatty swung its tail; Blissey caught it within its stubby arms, much to Venus' surprise.

"Huh…?!" Venus' eyes widened as Delcatty was stopped cold.

"Get that thing outta here!" Kasumi spoke with a wide grin. Blissey twirled around before tossing Delcatty high into the rainy sky! A moment later, Delcatty landed on the ground roughly, swirls in its eyes to signify its defeat. "Yes!"

"Decatty is…unable to battle! Blissey is the winner!" The referee once again pointed at Kasumi.

"What's going on…? Lady Venus is losing…?" The crowd started to mumble in worry.

"She's losing crowd support…!" Serena grinned as the crowd began to doubt Venus.

"…Something about this doesn't sit right with me…" Scott voiced his concerns aloud.

"Why not?" Takeba tilted her head. "She's crushing it! Venus is just all talk after all! Just one more pokemon and she's outta here!" The pinkette was shivering in excitement…or the cold. She didn't exactly dress the best for the rainy weather either.

Clemont was still monitoring Kasumi's condition. He'd never seen a more positive reaction from her! "Her mood's excellent! At this rate…"

"Let's go Kasumi!" Bonnie cheered with Dedenne right beside her.

"You can do it!" Ash followed suit.

.

While making their way up a flight of stairs, a nearby monitor showed Marcus and Elizabeth Kasumi's sweep of Venus thus far. "That's my girl…!" Marcus grinned.

"Oh, this is too good!" Elizabeth grinned widely. Anything that caused Venus to suffer brought her joy. This may have just been the break they needed!

Continuing up the flight of stairs, the two eventually made it to the top…where they were immediately met by Dakim. "WHOOOOA…!" Marcus had to slide to a halt before crashing into the much larger male. "Y-You…you're a lot bigger in person…" The trainer said with a nervous sweat drop. The corridor was far too narrow to even attempt any kind of pokemon battle and there was no way they could take Dakim on in any contest of strength.

"…I think we can take him." Elizabeth shrugged.

"HUH!?" Marcus turned his head to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry, but are we not looking at the same giant behemoth here?!"

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Elizabeth was seriously ready to do this. At least, until Dakim lifted the two by back of their collars. "WH-hey! Put me down!"

"This is a restricted area, you chumps. Don't make me throw you down these stairs." Dakim scoffed. The scary part was that he actually meant it to. "Go back and watch your friend's demise."

"Demise!? If you haven't noticed…" Elizabeth pointed to the nearest monitor. "Venus is getting her ass handed to her on a silver platter! …And if this is a restricted area, why are you here?! What's beyond you? Grace, perhaps?"

"That's none of your business." Dakim then pulled both arms back before throwing Elizabeth and Marcus down the stairs they came from. It was not a pleasant trip and they just landed on top of one another with comical swirls in their eyes. The admin then dusted off his hands and proceeded to walk off.

"Ugh…I don't think we're getting past him…" Elizabeth groaned.

"What was your first hint…?" Marcus sighed.

.

Venus returned her Delcatty and sighed. The score was 3-1; Kasumi's favor. "Oh no…whatever shall I do? Your annoyance has far exceeded my expectations…"

Kasumi couldn't tell if Venus was being serious or not…but she just took it for a compliment and grinned smugly. "Is there a problem, Lady Venus?"

"Yes. It's standing right in front of me." Venus quipped while tossing her final pokemon out. It was her Steelix, equipped with a bulky chest plate that had a Mega Stone firmly attached to the center. "Steelix…surpass evolution and evolve into something more beautiful!" Venus held out the Key Stone attached to the ring on her finger. The two stones reacted with one another, causing Steelix to undergo metamorphosis. Its body grew larger, jaw became broader, and stones began to float around its body as it became Mega Steelix!

"Mega Steelix…!" Ash leaned over the railing slightly. "But Kasumi's still got three pokemon…one of them hasn't even battled yet. She should be fine…!"

"I hope so…" Lovrina mumbled.

"We can do this, Blissey!" Kasumi felt her heart race but she was ready. "We just have to beat this thing…then we can save Grace. Ice Beam!" Blissey puffed its cheeks out before releasing a beam of ice in Steelix's direction.

"Flash Cannon." Venus exhaled with minimal effort. Steelix gathered light energy within its mouth before firing a widespread beam towards the incoming Ice Beam. The two attacks didn't even clash; Flash Cannon broke through Ice Beam with ease and slammed into Blissey, causing it to fly backwards until it landed on the ground on its back.

"Blissey…!" Kasumi panicked. Luckily for her, Blissey hopped right back up and tried to shake off the impact like it was nothing, but it was still hurting.

"What power…!" Takeba gasped.

"Iron Tail." Steelix slithered across the wet terrain quickly as its tail shone brightly. It lifted its tail up before swing it down on Blissey.

"Seismic Toss!" Blissey lifted its stubby arms up to catch Steelix's incoming tail…but it was hardly able to fend it off! Blissey ended up becoming stuck, holding out for a few seconds before it was crushed under Steelix's weight and strength. When Steelix lifted its tail up, Blissey was in KO.

"Blissey is unable to battle! Steelix is the winner!" The referee exclaimed while pointing at a now smug Venus. Thunder boomed out and the rain seemed to grow even heavier with her first victory.

"That's our Lady Venus!" The crowd exclaimed before entering another chant of her name once again. The cheers of the crowd only served to fuel Venus' ever growing ego.

"….Blissey, thank you." Kasumi returned Blissey.

"What's wrong?" Venus tilted her head curiously while asking. "Did you have another moment of powerlessness? Watching as your pokemon couldn't do anything…and all you could do was stand there once again as something got hurt because of you?"

Kasumi cringed from those words, which only meant she believed them to be true. That aura started to flare around her once again, but she actively attempted to suppress it to not let Venus get to her. "Lucario, you're up next." Lucario returned, entering a battle ready position.

"Steelix, use Stone Edge." Steelix lifted its tail up before slamming it onto the ground, creating azure tinted stones that sporadically rose up from the ground to strike Lucario.

"Bone Rush!" Lucario clapped its paws together to create another bone. The aura pokemon then sprinted forward, deftly evading the rising stones that threatened to impale it. Once close, Lucario took a high leap into the air before swinging its bone down onto Steelix's cranium…where the bone just shattered on impact. "AH…!?"

"Did that even do any damage…!?" Serena gasped.

"Flash Cannon." Steelix pointed its maw at Lucario, releasing a point blank blast of light energy at the opposing steel type. Lucario was thrown backwards, landing on the ground harshly on its back.

"Lucario!?" Lucario stood up slowly, signifying to its trainer that it could still fight. "Okay…Aura Sphere!" Lucario thrust its arm forward, unleashing a gigantic Aura Sphere that raced towards Steelix. This sphere was a direct hit! But Steelix didn't so much as flinch from it either. "Wh…" Kasumi's eyes widened in absolute horror. Nothing she was doing against this monster was working! "Aura Sphere again!"

"Heavy Slam." Venus was beginning to get some enjoyment out of Kasumi's reactions. The next Aura Sphere also hit its mark, but Steelix didn't flinch and jumped into the air, its massive body now closing in on Lucario.

"Extreme Speed then Force Palm! Get outta there!" Lucario went to move….but it briefly hesitated because of its injuries. It was too late after that. Steelix's massive body crashed down onto Lucario and slithered away with an attitude just as smug as its trainer. Lucario was defeated.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Steelix is the winner!" The referee pointed at Venus and the crowd roared once again.

"Would you look at that? Your weakness has caused yet another thing to be harmed…" Venus shook her head. "I'm starting to doubt if I even want you as a Mini Venus…you're tendency to get people hurt is for detrimental for my taste…"

"I don't do it on purpose…!" Kasumi shouted back while returning Lucario. "…I…"

"Oh no…" Clemont didn't like what he was reading. Kasumi's emotions were starting to spike again…

"I know you told me not to do this…but this is for you…" Kasumi spoke to herself before tossing a plain pokeball forward. "Dragonite…I'm counting on you!" Dragonite was called forth as Kasumi's third and final pokemon. "We have to win…! I don't want anyone to worry about us anymore."

Underneath the veil, Venus' lips curved into a wide grin. She knew if she baited Kasumi hard enough Dragonite would come out…and anyone could see that aura around her body. All the pieces were in place. A little push is all it would take for everything to collapse. "Resorting to that now, are we? You're more pathetic than I thought…"

"Shut up! Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite opened its mouth, unleashing a multitcolored beam of energy that took the form of a dragon towards Steelix.

"Flash Cannon!" Steelix opened its mouth to release another beam of light energy at the Dragon Pulse. The two attacks clashed and exploded against one another to create a cloud of smoke.

"Fire Punch!" In the rain? Well it was better than nothing. Dragonite flew forward with flames wrapping around its arm, aiming to sock Steelix right in the jaw!

"Stone Edge!" Steelix's tail struck the ground, creating stones that rose up from the round in an unpredictable pattern. Dragonite tried its best to avoid the stones, but one rose up and struck it in the torso, sending it further into the air before it caught itself.

"Aqua Tail!" Using the raindrops to its advantage, Dragonite's tail quickly began wrapped by a vortex of water. The dragon then slammed this vortex atop Steelix's head for super effective damage, but as per usual, Steelix didn't even budge. "Impossible…!"

"Iron Tail." Steelix lunged forward into the air, slamming its tail fiercely into Dragonite's side, sending it rocketing to the ground violently. Dragonite was already on a knee just from those two attacks. "Oh ho…this is far too easy…"

"What happened?! She was winning so easily before…" Bonnie looked to the others with extreme concern.

"…I think Venus was just toying with her." Lovrina confirmed. "To get her hopes up…so she could crush them…"

"I think we've got to pull the plug on this now!" Serena stood up to shout to Kasumi. "Please, Kasumi! Get out of there…! Don't listen to Venus!"

"Are you going to run from your only chance to save your friend?" Venus lifted a brow. "It wouldn't be the first time you've tried to run away from something. You'd honestly just leave your friend alone in the dark like that after all she's done for you? For shame…"

"NO!" Kasumi exclaimed. "I won't abandon her…and I won't lose to you either!"

"You say that, but the look on your face makes it painfully clear that you've noticed. You can't beat me, darling~" Venus cooed.

It was around this time the others started pouring in; Diantha, Looker, Rui, Marcus, and Elizabeth. They could all see what was going on from the monitors on the hallway and it was even worse in person. "What's going on!?" Diantha exclaimed. "I'm pulling the plug on this battle right now. Kasumi!"

Venus lifted a hand, speaking to the crowd. "Don't you think it is just abhorrent how she acts? This woman had so much confidence prior…and now she cowers and reveals her true colors? She is nothing but a dangerous monster with the capacity to murder people. She doesn't deserve friendship. Nor does she deserve the false kindness she's received as of late. All she is…is a burden to those people she calls her friends. Every bad thing that's happened to them thus far is her fault."

"Yeah!"

"She's terrible!

"Get rid of her, Lady Venus!"

"Lady Venus is our savior!"

Elizabeth grit her teeth while turning to the crowd. "Hey! Shut up, all of you!" It was no use. Venus was using the crowd to drown out their voices!

"This isn't good…" Clemont's monitor was going haywire!

"She's about to lose it again…" Rui bit her lip. "What do we do…!?"

Kasumi lowered her head as her hair created a shade over her eyes, clenching her hand into a fist as she was continuously berated by Venus and the crowd. She was angry…sad…upset…you name it. Venus wasn't wrong. At least to Kasumi she wasn't. All she ever did was make everyone worry and get them in trouble. "I…."

"You…?" Venus could only wonder what Kasumi had to say for herself.

"…I won't give in." Kasumi finally responded. "I know I'm weak…I'm just a cause for worry for everyone else. But…right now, my best friend needs my help. She put herself on the line for me…and I can't back down now." The dark aura continued to flare around Kasumi, but something was different about it this time. "I'm going to put myself on the line for her just like she did me! I am a performer after all…so I can only aim to please! And I won't let you have your way anymore…!" It was around then that the aura exploded from around her body and Dragonite's as well, soaring high into the rainy, cloudy sky! [Getta Ban Ban starts blasting in the background.]

"Kasumi…!" Everyone shouted in worry…but this was different from before.

"Hmhmhm…" Venus giggled as the final piece of her plot was finally put in place. But even she noticed that something about this was different from before…she couldn't put her finger on it. All she planned to do was put Kasumi down shortly after her outburst. Once Dragonite went down, so did she. But….

"Wait…!" Rui yelled to the others. "That…that energy isn't taking her over! She's…she's letting it run its course…and she's using it!?"

"Huh!?"

When that aura died down, Dragonite was revealed to be in that black color scheme just as before when it stood. Shadow Dragonite was back…as for Kasumi, she lifted her head up and her eyes were not red! They were still green! "Whew…"

"W-Wait a second…!?" Venus' eyes widened in shock. "T-That's not what was supposed to happen! Where are the red eyes!? The murderous intent!?"

Thunder boomed loudly in the distance. Kasumi faced Venus with a smug smirk. "I'm not going to let my anger control me anymore. Serena told me to think of things that made me happy…I don't want to make them worry about me anymore."

"This is…" Lovrina began sweating. Was their experiment on Shadow Trainers truly able to be manipulated like this?!

The entire stadium fell into silence. Kasumi pointed her arm forward to command Dragonite to attack. "Dragonite, Fire Punch!" Black fire erupted around Shadow Dragon's fist. Pushing off the ground, Dragonite flew towards Steelix before it could even react! A fiery punch slammed against its face and actually made it slide backwards a few feet from the raw power. "That's what I'm talking about!"

"…!" Venus gasped as Venus was pushed backwards. "B-But how could this be!?"

"VENUS!" Kasumi shouted to the other woman as lightning flashed and thunder boomed. "Your reign of terror ends here!"

"You…little upstart…" Venus was trembling. This was the first time she couldn't control a situation and it made her so mad! "I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU. Steelix, Iron Tail!"

"Aqua Tail!" Both Steelix and Dragonite gathered energy within their tails before slamming them into each other. A shockwave boomed out from the collision and both sides were forced backwards as a result. Kasumi wasn't going to let up and continued to go on the offensive. "Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite parted its mouth open, unleashing a black beam of draconic energy that crashed into Steelix's body, inflicting a nice amount of damage.

"Agh! Iron Tail!" Steelix lunged forward, slamming its tail into Dragonite's side harshly to send it down into the ground. "And Flash Cannon!" A large beam of energy was barreled towards Dragonite after that! It was a direct hit and a cloud of smoke formed around the shadow pokemon. "Ha! How does that feel!?"

As the smoke cleared, Dragonite was still standing along with Kasumi. They may have been linked but they weren't going to show any signs of weakness. Black sparks did dance around Kasumi but she didn't seem fazed in the slightest. "…Is that all?"

"W-Wh…what kind of monster…" Venus took a step back out of fear. Nothing she was doing was working now?! She was speechless.

"No way…" Marcus' jaw dropped.

"Dragonite! Shadow Dragon Rush!" Dragonite cloaked its body in shadow energy that resembled a dragon. Pushing off the ground, its wings went into over drive as it crashed its body into Steelix's for monstrous impact! Steelix let out a cry of pain while nearly tipping over from the attack, but it somehow managed to hold its ground.

"NO NO NO!" Venus screamed. "This ISN'T HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO!" Her loss of composure really worried the crowd, especially those of Chiper that were watching. "STEELIX! CRUSH IT WITH HEAVY SLAM!" Steelix complied to Venus' orders, pushing its entire body forward. Steelix still outweighed Dragonite, so when that impact hit…it hurt hard. As tough as Kasumi was trying to be, her connection with Dragonite was still present and she screamed out in pain! Furthermore, the shadowy aura around the two of them completely dispersed and Dragonite returned to normal while on its hands and knees.

"Oh no! She was kicked out of it?" Looker stared at Clemont for an answer.

"Her emotions are all over the place…I didn't think she would be able to sustain it for much longer…but that had to have hurt…" Clemont explained.

"I knew she was trying to act tough! Kasumi, please..! You don't have to do this…" Serena pleaded.

"No…I have to…" Kasumi coughed up some blood while standing back up, heaving heavily. "…Grace didn't stop. She's always looking out for me and Marcus and we haven't been able to do anything to pay her back yet! I don't care how beat up we get…I'll do anything to save her from this woman's clutches. That's what friends are for…that's what Ash told me…so I can't be afraid of myself anymore! I have to push forward if I want to win!"

"…." Grace, who was watching this battle in her confinement, was absolutely stunned by Kasumi's words. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. She had amazing friends.

"I've had enough of this sappy drivel! Steelix! Crush them once and for all with Iron Tail!" Steelix rushed forward while raising its tail one more time to finish Dragonite off.

"DRAGONITE PLEASE!" Kasumi shouted. Dragonite threw its arms up to catch Steelix's tail just before it hit. The impact was amazing and the ground cratered underneath Dragonite's feet as it was barely able to fend off Steelix. "Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite lifted its head into the air and released another blast of energy…but this wasn't the usual blast! This orange sphere rose into the air and exploded in to several meteors that began raining down from above!

"That's…" Ash began.

"Draco Meteor…!" Rui clapped her hands together.

The Draco Meteor rained down on Steelix, several of them exploded on their target. Steelix cried out and slithered backwards to escape from the bombardment of meteors. Venus was absolutely livid! Why where things playing out like this!? She should've won a long time ago! "Steelix! This is it! Finish this with Heavy Slam!" Steelix nodded before leaping into the air, aiming to crush Dragonite with its superior weight to end off this battle.

"Dragon Rush!"

With a mighty roar, Dragonite allowed its energy to flare around its body once again. One flap of its wings and it took off into the sky to clash with Steelix head on. The two pokemon clashed in midair, a powerful shockwave shaking the very sky echoing out as a result! The fierce stalemate ended in a cataclysmic explosion with a gigantic smoke cloud filling the entire stadium! Everyone had to shield their eyes from the fierce wind kicked up.

All fell silent as the smoke steadily began to clear. Not even the sharpest knife could cut the tension of the anxious weight. As the smoke steadily began to clear…there was only one figure left standing after such an intense battle.

The winner was…..

.

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Next Time: Part 2 End: And The Winner Is….


	44. Chapter 44: Part 2: End

Silence permeated the battlefield as the cloud of smoke slowly began to dissipate. Everyone was on the edge of their seat while trying to peer for a closer look at the victory. There was only one figure left standing in the smoke. When it cleared the winner was….

…..

"Steelix is unable to battle…therefore, Kasumi wins…!" The referee stuttered the words out. But it was true. Steelix laid on the ground in defeat, returning to normal after its sound defeat!

"SHE WON!" Marcus took a high leap for joy. "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! LET'S GO!"

"Venus lost! Ah ha! HAHA! YES!" Elizabeth was eating this up.

"She finally lost! Look at her face!" This was a great moment for Takeba as well. Finally, Venus was forced to eat her own words!

"And you've seen it here first!" Malva spoke to the camera James held while pointing to the arena. "Lady Venus has lost in a surprising turn of events!" As Malva delivered the news, the rain slowly began to come to a halt and the clouds began to part, allowing a ray of sunshine to shine through!

"That's a strong twerp…" James muttered in a shaky tone.

"W-We did it…" Kasumi let out a heavy exhale while falling to her rear. Black sparks danced around her body and she cringed noticeably, but she felt fine! Well…as fine as one in her condition could be. Kasumi returned Dragonite while staring at Venus. "Well…you lost! So I believe we had a deal."

"N-No!" Venus shook her head, completely denying everything that just happened. "That didn't happen! I did NOT just lose to this experiment! I call for a rematch right now! I am the invincible Lady Venus! I can't lose…!" And at long last…Venus finally started to reveal her true colors.

"This is too good." Elizabeth was just smiling the whole time.

"I've never seen something more amazing." Kayla grinned like an idiot.

"I thought Lady Venus was a dignified lady…?"

"Mommy…Lady Venus is a sore loser…?"

The crowd began to murmur as Venus acted so childish in defeat. She was quickly losing the crowd's favor after her loss. This made Jessie snicker since everyone was against Venus at this point. "Ah…all is right in the universe. Venus is off her orbit."

"This is what it's like when darkness has fallen..." Lore commented with a smug grin of his own. Really, this was just too great right now.

"Ngh…No…! I'm Your Venus, remember? Everyone's Venus…?" Venus tried to smile but the crowd wasn't having it. They started to boo! If she acted a little more dignified in the face of defeat then maybe she wouldn't be having such a bad time right now.

"What was it you said earlier?" Kasumi spoke with a widening grin. "That every single region would be watching this battle? So…while you were expecting my defeat to be broadcast live…it was yours instead!"

Venus completely forgot. That battle was live EVERYWHERE. This realization struck her like a bolt of lightning and she completely froze. Her charismatic charm wore off and everyone was seeing her for who she truly was. "T-That was live…everyone saw me lose…"

"That's right! You're Nobody's Venus now!" Kasumi exclaimed.

That exclamation made Venus freeze up completely. Her body shivered and there was only one thing she could utter to express her frustration: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…..!"

"…I know it's early, but my life is complete." Elizabeth sighed contently.

Looker took things over from here. Leaping down the railing, he flashed his badge to let Venus know she was in deep trouble. "I am Looker of the International Police. Venus. You are under arrest under the suspicion of allying with Chiper and distributing Shadow Pokémon to the public."

"ACK…" Venus took a step backwards. She completely forgot the International Police were onto them!

"AND!" Kasumi began. "You promised to give Grace back! You better start talking."

"…Ack….ugh….oor…." Venus sighed before regaining what was left of her pride, dignity, and composure. "Very well…you caught me. I, Lady Venus, am the mastermind behind the crime! Rebuilding Chiper was my idea, and I intended to become the champion of this tournament before bringing the organization back into the light. I distributed Shadow Pokémon to the trainers that lost. I am responsible for the multiple attacks in the town. It was all ME!"

Lovrina was just as surprised as everyone else to hear this. But then she realized…the International Police had no leads. If Venus confessed to the crime as the scapegoat then they could operate in peace. Venus had to have had this contingency plan in mind in case she did lose…probably with a lot more self-respect as well. "…"

"I had more plans for this tournament…it was so much fun running it. But alas, I suppose all great things come to an end. As for the top 8, I officially include: Ash, Marcus, Grace, Kasumi, Elizabeth, Takeba, Scott, and one more surprise guest when the time calls for it. You brat, you can meet Grace just outside the stadium in a matter of minutes…I had so many plans for the Shadow Project."

"That's a confession if I've ever heard one." Diantha let out a heavy sigh. "But it seems we've finally resolved this issue…" She said that…but there was a faint sound rapidly closing in from the sky above. "That sound…is that a…?" Yup. It was a helicopter that lowered a ladder for Venus to take.

"But alas! I'm afraid this is where we'll have to part ways my lovelies!" Venus grabbed onto the helicopter ladder and it began to fly up and away.

"She's getting away!" Ash shouted while preparing to call out his Talonflame to do something about it.

"Es un disatre!" Looker's panic caused him to shout in a foreign language. Venus was about to slip away from them and there wasn't anything they could do!

"I've seen this before…" Rui tilted her head curiously as she tried to recall the memory.

A blast of fire struck the side of the helicopter before it could get too far. The pilot and Venus panicked as they crashed into the field. "Agh…! Who dares interrupt my graceful exit?" She coughed a few times after the rough landing.

"Graceful? You are a lot of things, but graceful is perhaps the bottom of that list." Cynthia shook her head while walking onto the scene with her Garchomp beside her. She had a bandage wrapped around her forehead, but her timing was still impeccable nonetheless.

"…Now my life is really complete." Elizabeth stared at Cynthia as she came through with the timely rescue!

"No! Things weren't…supposed to turn out this way…" Venus basically quit at this point. She began to throw a temper tantrum on the ground, flailing her arms and legs about. "I was supposed to win! I was supposed to be the queen! I was supposed to be unstoppable! WAAAAAAAAAH!"

"At least retain the little bit of dignity you have left before resigning." Cynthia shook her head with a frown. It was really quite the pitiful sight that gave her a migraine just looking at it. Or that was because of her injury…either way…

"You'll have plenty of time to cry." Looker said coolly while cuffing Venus and the pilot of the helicopter. "Behind bars. We have a number of questions for you, 'Grandmaster' Venus.'" With that, Looker ushered Venus and her cohort off.

Rui lifted her hand into the air, cheering for their victory! "I wish Wes was here to see this! We beat Chiper again!"

"Where DID Wes go?" Serena peered around, yet she could find hide nor hair of Wes. "Huh…I doubt he would miss such a momentous occasion."

"Guys!" Kasumi waved to the others from below. "I'm gonna go meet up with Grace! I'll bring her to you and be right back!" Without another word, Kasumi went off on her own.

"I say this calls for a celebration." Clemont closed his monitor with a grin.

"Yeah!" Bonnie cheered.

"Ahem…" The host tapped the mic. Finally, he had his old job back after Venus usurped him. "Well…now that that's over with. There is one more announcement I'd like make! We will be moving to the Lusmiose Stadium for the top eight! There will be a few day break during that time, so please relax or train how you will! Thank you all for tuning in for another exciting installment of this regional cup!"

Cynthia finally caught up with the group, letting out a silent huff. "I see you've all been doing well. Those fights were very impressive."

"Psssh….ahaha….it was nothing…" Elizabeth waved her hand bashfully.

"Are you okay?" Diantha tilted her head. "You shouldn't even be off of bed rest yet."

"I couldn't very well sit and let her escape now could I?" Cynthia quipped. But it was true. She probably should've gone back to resting. She felt like she was going to pass out again at any second. "Good job today everyone."

"Lumoise, huh…" Clemont nodded silently to himself. "Be prepared everyone! It should be a fun trip! Once Grace returns, we should go in advanced."

"Yeah!" Everyone could agree to that one. The Kalos group could finally share some laughter and joy as they departed. Lovrina was included in this of course.

Ein shook his head from afar, chuckling quietly to himself. "So…Venus finally took the fall? Her plan should've been full proof…so does this mean there is more potential to the Shadow Trainer than I thought? But at the same time…she should not have been able to use that much power without any repercussions. I must investigate further…"

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.

Grace was standing outside the stadium as Dakim had to drop her off. She was a brat about it and groaned in disgust at her clothes. "Ugh…I need a makeover again. Who styled this outfit…?"

"Your friends are already back at the Center. Just because Venus doesn't have a hold on you doesn't mean…" Dakim began, but Grace cut him off.

"I know." She scoffed and started to walk off. "But don't expect me to respond immediately if you need me. I'm taking a break…"

"Are you?" Wes stood off to the side. "I'll make your life even easier from this point on. If you can win in the top 8…I'll give you the Time Flute you so desire. That's not a bad bargain, is it?"

"Where's this kindness coming from…" Grace couldn't help but feel suspicious, given Wes' track record.

"Venus acted off orders a few times. Perhaps this is her punishment." Wes shrugged before beginning to walk off. "Take it or leave it. But after what Kasumi just did…she may need that flute more than ever now."

"….Fine." Grace accepted the deal with no hesitation. "Now if you'll excuse me…" Grace started to make her way towards the Center.

A few moments passed before Kasumi arrived onto the scene. It was a right place, wrong time scenario, because she nearly ran right into Ein and Dakim. "Eeep…!" She couldn't turn back, they already saw her. They were Chiper and she knew it. If Venus was…then they just had to be. "I-I'm here for Grace…!"

"Oh? You mean our spy?" Ein chuckled. "She's already gone on ahead."

"Your…spy…?" Kasumi tilted her head. "I don't understand…?"

"You don't get it…?" Wes appeared behind Kasumi now with his arms crossed. At first he was a sight for sore eyes!

"Oh thank goodness! Wes, these guys are being scary! Help a girl out here!" Kasumi pleaded…but Wes didn't budge an inch. The realization from that moment quickly set in. "Oh no…"

"Grace is working for us." Wes clarified. "She's been working so hard to get a Time Flute just for you. It even cost her her individuality for a little bit…but that's just how far she was willing to go for her mistake."

"…Wha…" Kasumi shook her head. "No…! That's not true…but…" Now that she thought about it…Grace did act strange whenever Chiper was mentioned. And when they had their private talk…the pieces fit into the puzzle.

"There is a way you can ease that pain though." Wes' tone steadily began to drop. "If she wins the top 8, she'll get the Time Flute. But…if you fail to win the top 8…we'll have to get rid of all your friends…permanently."

Kasumi gasped. Black sparks flared around her body and she clutched her chest in agony. "Y-You can't do that…!"

"But I will." Wes waved his hand and began to walk off with Ein and Dakim. "And if you tell a soul about this…we'll just make the process that much faster. I'm sure you'll make the right decision, though…XD-002. We have eyes everywhere."

Now she was being blackmailed!? This went from the best day of her life to the worst. Wes was with Chiper…? She really couldn't believe this either, but this explained his strange disappearances. She felt so stressed it was causing her pain once again. Her heart was reacting terribly to the situation. "Ugh…."

"And now…" Wes clicked his tongue, pleased with the situation he created. "We sit back and wait as the Shadow Project plays out. Mewtwo still has some finishing touches as well…I can't wait to unveil the ultimate game for everyone to participate in…" And with Venus out of the picture…that gave the false sense of security that Chiper was terminated once again. Oh…how they couldn't be anymore wrong.

.

"WELCOME BACK GRACE!" The entire crew shouted as Grace stepped into the Center! It was a whole party just for her return!

"Wha…!?" Grace took a few steps back. "Guys…"

"Don't ever do something so foolish like that ever again young lady!" Diantha tapped her foot impatiently on the tile floor while giving that disapproving look. "You had your friends extremely worried and you put yourself at risk. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"…I'm sorry for worrying you." Grace managed a small smile even as she said that. "But I knew one of you would rescue me."

"You're a lucky soul." Lovrina remarked. "If Kasumi hadn't held onto her emotions like that…"

"I was fine!" Kasumi scoffed. "Not like that was the reason I won anyway…but it sure helped a lot."

"You were awesome out there!" Rui grinned.

"Yeah! You really showed Venus!" Ash laughed a bit.

"I wish I took a picture of her face…" Elizabeth snapped her fingers woefully.

"I recorded her meltdown." Takeba held up a camera and grinned.

"You're the smartest woman alive." Elizabeth, Kayla, and Takeba huddled up together to watch Venus' meltdown on an endless loop.

"I felt a little sorry for her…" Serena sighed. "She was a terrible person…but all she wanted was the crowd's attention. She was really good at holding it too…but when she let it go…it just dropped."

"Don't let her childish act fool you. She's evil through and through." Rui shook her head. She was looking around for Wes…but he still wasn't around. "Sigh…Cynthia's grand entrance would've left him so stunned. She fell unconscious again, so I doubt we'll be seeing her for a few days…"

"Ah…" Kasumi wanted to say something but remembered the threat made.

"Something wrong? It's my look, isn't it? I hate this outfit." Grace joked while patting Kasumi on the shoulder. "Thank you…"

"She's crazy." Marcus laughed. "But she gets it from the both of us, huh? Haven't exactly been the most sane role models."

"You two are quite insane." Lore shook his head. "And that is coming from me of all people."

"Extremely so..." Scott agreed with this.

"Ditto." Kayla nodded. Everyone just ended up laughing at Grace and Marcus shortly after.

 _"_ _Everything'll be okay if I win…"_ Kasumi thought to herself as she stared at everyone having a grand old time. Even though they all just met and became friends…she didn't want any of them to go. Not like that. "I wouldn't trade this for the world. Welcome back, Grace."

Grace's eyes widened at those words. Every time someone said it it made her heart skip a beat. "You guys…"

Diantha had to go. She stood up from her seat and gently patted Grace on the shoulder. "You have some wonderful friends. Don't let them go." With her words of wisdom hanging in the air, the Kalos Champion made her departure.

Grace couldn't hold it in any longer. She started to cry all over again, but these were happy tears. "…It's great to be back, everyone…"

"First things first…" Serena and Lovrina both walked over to Grace, beginning to drag her off to the back.

"We're gonna have to do something about this outfit." Lovrina shook her head. "It does not work on you."

"Not at all." Serena agreed. Grace being dragged off could only make the others laugh. Kasumi's laughter was slight as she thought about the days to come. It all rested on her, didn't it…?

.

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Next Time: Part 3: The Final Top 8! Rest and Relaxation!


	45. Chapter 45: Rest and Relaxation

Venus sat in an interrogation room with Looker and Diantha. Both of them were trying to pry some more specific information out of Lady Venus, but she was being exceptionally difficult now. Yawning, the Admin looked at her nails. "Are we done here? Cuffs clash terribly with this outfit…and I may be in prison but I still need my beauty sleep."

"Your attitude sure changed…" Diantha crossed her arms, staring at Venus before glancing at Looker. "You can go as soon as we receive the answers we desire. We've told you this many times now…"

"I don't feel like it." Venus scoffed. "Your questions are repetitive and boring. You're just wasting your time at this point. I have better things to do…like rotting in a cell. Oh…my poor complexion. You people should be ashamed of your brutality."

"We're getting nothing out of her…" Looker had to sigh. He knew women could be difficult…but of course, Venus just HAD to take it all on a whole different scale. "I suppose this is all we can do for now. But I do have one question I think you'll be able to answer as the Grandmaster of Chiper."

"Something only the leader would know?" Venus shrugged her shoulders, completely uninterested in the situation at hand. "Fine. You only get one shot."

"What was the point of Kasumi? That poor girl doesn't deserve the fate placed onto her by your organization." Looker stared at Venus intently. "Is there anything that can be done to help her?"

"Ah…I suppose I can spoil a little bit of my plan." Venus sighed. "You see…the goal was to create a trainer that was like a Shadow Pokémon. The stronger the trainer and pokemon, the more they would resonate with the shadow energy implanted within them. Funny story…Kasumi was never our original target, but that girl got in the way and it's caused all sorts of problems. Long story short…the two are bound together. So when the pokemon takes damage, so does Kasumi, and we humans are not built like pokemon. Not to mention that damage stacks up over time and never goes away. Her body has surely suffered greatly. I'm sure you could probably find some way to fix it…Time Flute or Celebi…but good luck finding either of them. It's practically impossible at this point."

"I see…we'll continue this conversation some other time." With a nod, Looker and Diantha departed to leave Venus all by her lonesome.

"Teehee…" Venus smirked devilishly as the two left. "…Is what I would say prior to our battle. She was supposed to have one final outburst that destroyed her body…but somehow she was able to control those emotions. There's no way her body should still be capable of moving yet there she was…but I guess it doesn't matter. She's only delayed the inevitable. I can only wonder what will happen now…"

.

.

Back in Chiper's HQ, Ein was going over the data of Kasumi and Venus' fight. "I see…so that's the cause of what happened. Interesting…"

"What have you found?" Nascour questioned from the sidelines. "Is the project still underway?"

"But of course." Ein responded. "Venus was taking things too far and actually planned to remove her from the project…but due to what happened I believe an even greater opening has presented itself. With our experiments on Mewtwo almost complete…my ingenious plan for Chiper will commence! The Grandmaster will be pleased with this. Thanks to Venus taking the wrap, we're in the clear for whatever we want…."

.

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Lumiose City, the largest city in all of Kalos and where Ash's adventure began; with a few days of downtime on their plates, our Kalos crew could finally relax after the craziness the tournament had to offer. Everyone was in Clemont's gym, waiting for Serena and Lovrina for some strange presentation. After a few minutes…

"Ladies and gentlemen…!" Serena popped forward from the door with a wide smile, Lovrina soon on her left.

"We now present to you…"

"The new and improved Grace!"

With some confetti blowing out from somewhere, the door opened and Graced stepped out; long brown hair, blue eyes, and all in a pretty dress! She was back to old self with some improvements scattered about here and there. "Ta da!" Grace spun around before coming to a stop. "I look great, don't I?"

"Better than ever!" Kasumi gave a thumbs up.

"Doesn't she look great, Squishy"! Bonnie held Squishy up from the pouch. Squishy merely gave a nod before turning its gaze to Kasumi, almost as if it were trying to get a read on her.

"Those two really worked some magic, huh?" Kayla tilted her head with a smile. Overall it seemed like everyone was more than pleased with her appearance.

"She's so adorable!" Rui squealed.

"I think we really outdid ourselves this time." Lovrina and Serena shared a high five.

The doors slowly began to open. Wes stepped forward and looked around before giving an eventual shrug. "Nice place."

"YOU." Elizabeth practically lunged from her seat, giving Wes the death glare as she nearly moved to strangle him. Good thing Ash and Marcus were able to keep her from doing so! …Just narrowly.

"C-Calm down, Elizabeth…!" Ash spoke as Pikachu also tried to help by tugging on the female's pant leg. Although she had every right to be upset after the parlor trick Wes did.

"You don't tell a hysterical woman to calm down…that only makes it worse." Marcus nodded while offering some wisdom.

"What?" Wes blinked curiously before recalling the situation. "Oh, yeah…that. Why are you so upset? I gave it back?"

"THAT ISN'T THE POINT YOU THEIF!" Elizabeth snarled.

"Her darkness is beginning to become worrisome. I suggest we all run…" Lore said while standing up from his seat.

"Don't need to tell me twice…" Takeba stood up and prepared to haul it outta there.

"Wes…" Rui tilted her head while approaching the male. "I heard what happened…why would you do that?"

"To spice things up. I never intended to keep Zoroark." Wes spoke as if the situation had blown over when clearly it had not. "But enough about that. Excellent work getting rid of Venus, Kasumi. You all are going to do great in the top 8."

A lightbulb went off in Rui's head. She latched onto Wes' arm and started to tug him off. "Now's the perfect chance for our alone time!"

"You can't drag him away before I put him in a casket!" Elizabeth was still being held back and she wasn't happy.

"I was promised time with Wes. I'm not letting your brief anger get in the way of that, understand?" Oh…Rui was serious about this. Elizabeth knew better than anyone to stand between a girl and her thirst…so she had no choice but to let Wes go with Rui for the time being.

"I'll skin him later." Elizabeth huffed and calmed down.

"Glad we've come to an understanding!" Rui smiled before dragging Wes off for their date. Wes merely flashed Elizabeth a knowing smile and oh boy did that piss her off even more!

"…I'll kill him later." Elizabeth grumbled.

"That aside…" Takeba began. "We're in the biggest city in all of Kalos! I think it's time to rest and relax with some shopping. Who's with me!?"

"Shopping?" That got the attention of all the girls.

"You know…I haven't been shopping in a long time…" Lovrina's inner fashionista was tingling at this. "Yes…yes…it's time for a shopping spree!"

"I'm game." Kayla nodded.

"Count me in!" Kasumi and Grace also agreed.

"Anything to get my mind off of this." Elizabeth crossed her arms.

"I wanna go too!" Bonnie exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Then it's settled!" Takeba then turned to the guys. "And what are you all going to do? Would you care to join our lovely entourage and carry our bags for us?"

"…I think I'll pass on that." Marcus said.

"Yeah…Shopping isn't really my thing." Ash said while rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Besides! We're in a gym! This is the perfect chance to get some more training in!"

"Exactly what I was thinking." Scott chuckled. "You can never become too lax in your trainings."

"I too shall remain here." Lore confirmed. "I would like for my team to get a little extra training in."

"Boys will be boys…" Takeba waved her hand around dismissively. "Fine, have it your way. Ladies, off we go!" And with that the ladies were off to shop until they dropped!

"Hey, Clemont!" Ash turned to Clemont with that excited look in his eyes. "Train with us! We can all take turns!"

"That's a great idea!" Clemont nodded. "Just give me a moment to get everything set up. I'll have Citroid take my place in the meantime."

As the boys began to set up their training exercise…Kasumi stayed behind out of sight from both parties. She told the girls she forgot something and would catch up in a bit…but in reality, she was leaning against the wall, clutching her chest as a cold sweat beaded down her forehead. "Ngh…ah…." Black sparks danced around her body for a brief moment as she experienced an incredibly sharp pain. "W-What's happening to me…?"

.

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Next Time: Recreational Activities


	46. Chapter 46: Recreational Activities

Team Rocket wore disguises at a nearby café. While pretending to read from the newspaper, they were actually contacting Giovanni to inform him of what happened with Venus. "…I see…" Giovanni nodded in understanding at the update. "She claims to be Chiper's leader and the situation is officially 'over'?"

"That's what she claims…" James began. "However…we know there is more than meets the eye with this situation. They likely still have Mewtwo in their possession…there's nothing that's over yet. But…with Venus being under arrest, the public believes Chiper to be put down and there are no more leads left."

"I see…" Giovanni nodded once again. "You are to continue watching them. If I know this organization, it is easy to say they are waiting for the perfect time to strike. Venus was nothing but the face when it came down to it. But there is more that they are not revealing. Don't be caught off guard when Chiper makes their final move."

"You got it, boss!" Meowth exclaimed.

"We'll contact you with further updates." Jessie said, and with that their talk with Giovanni was over. The red head went back to sticking her nose in the paper, grinning in delight at the headline: "Lady Venus Falls!". "I should be the only star here. It's fitting that attention seeking thief has fallen."

"Wobbefett!"

"Admittedly…I am a little nervous. You saw what that girl twerp did." James said while swirling his cup of coffee around in his hands. "If Chiper is capable of doing that with Mewtwo or any other pokemon…"

"The world would really be in trouble…" Meowth concluded. It was a frightening thought to think about. Sure, people used Pokémon as tools before, but how Chiper handled the situation was on a completely different scale. "The twerps don't even know dat those girls are spies…"

"And to top it all off…we don't know who's running the show even now…whoever it is must be an expert in hiding in the shadows…" Jessie sighed.

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"Achoo…" Wes sneezed blandly, sniffling before shaking his head. "Ah…that was strange. It's not cold out and I'm not getting sick."

"Maybe someone's talking about you?" Rui suggested with a shrug of her shoulders before dragging Wes off. "But come on! There's so much to do in this city!"

"Don't tell me we're going to do all of it…" Wes was actually surprised by Rui's enthusiasm.

"It's not like we're busy anymore, right?" Rui snickered. She got him there. "I heard there was a thing called a Battle Café! We should try it!"

"Battle…Café…?" Wes was actually pretty lost, probably due to the fact he didn't take the time to scope out Kalos' recreational activities beforehand. There was only one goal on his mind…but spending time with Rui really wasn't so bad to him. "Good thing my schedule is clear for the next few days…"

.

Elizabeth stepped out of the salon with…a somewhat different appearance. Her hair was cut shorter and she had some eye-paint that kind of resembled Zoroark's eyes and color scheme. The female group could only stare as they tried to take in this change. "…When you said you wanted a haircut…that isn't what I envisioned." Grace pointed out. "Not to say its bad or anything! I just…uh…why?"

"…I don't have an answer for this either…?" Kayla swallowed the nervous lump in her throat.

"Plenty of reasons." Elizabeth stated. "But to keep it short…Wes has started war and I will skin him alive for what he did to Zoroark. Plus…I still feel uneasy about this whole Chiper thing. Venus went down…a little too easily. And….I was also meaning to get a haircut for a long time."

"Easily is not the first word I would use." Kasumi chimed in. "But I can understand your sentiments…I feel very uneasy about what's to come…"

"I think you two are just worried about nothing!" Lovrina smiled to the others. Of course she would be the one to try and derail this topic as quickly as possible. "There's a top 8 that's yet to happen, and malls we've yet to clear. Why are we standing around here again?"

"Lovrina's right!" Serena clasped her hands together. "I have some new outfits that I'd like to buy!"

"Good. I don't want to hear any talk unless it's about shopping." Takeba was taking the charge in this operation. "Ladies, follow me!"

"Follow the leader!" Bonnie giggled while keeping Squishy in her arms. Meanwhile Dedenne was sleeping peacefully in the pouch.

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In the Lumoise City Gym, the boys were hard at work with some training! Marcus was currently squaring off against Clemont; Gallade vs. Luxray. "Gallade, Psycho Cut!" The knight drew its bladed arm back; a rainbow hue forming along its limb before it was brought forward, releasing several crescent slashes of kinetic energy towards Luxray.

"Luxray, Swift!" Luxray took a leap into the air, swinging its tail forward to unleash an array of countless stars. These stars clashed with the Psycho Cut, creating a chain of explosions in the air. Upon landing, Clemont quickly issued another command. "Thunder Fang!" Galloping forward, Luxray formed a jaw of lightning around its own maw and leapt forward, sinking its electrical fangs into Gallade's arm!

"Whoa…! He's not a gym leader for nothing, huh…?" Marcus grimaced at the blow Luxray managed to land. "Quick, Ice Punch!" Sub-zero frost covered Gallade's free fist, and it swung it upwards into Luxray's stomach with resounding force. Luxray was forced to release and slid backwards from the impact, coughing slightly. "Got ya."

"These two are really going at it." Scott nodded slowly. "I suppose it's only to be expected."

"Clemont's a really strong gym leader. I'm surprised they haven't already fought…" Ash tilted his head as he tried to piece together these mental pieces, but it just didn't make sense to him. Perhaps Marcus' group merely hadn't the time?

Either way the intense training round continued for a few more moments before both sides decided to take a breather. It was during this time that Professor Sycamore entered the gym, clapping to gain everyone's attention. "Marvelous, everyone!"

"Who's this guy?" Lore's face held a quizzical expression while using his thumb to gesture to the Professor.

"Oh! Professor Sycamore!" Ash hurried over to the Kalos professor. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to congratulate all of you on a job well done!" Sycamore responded. "You've all done very well in the tournament and against Chiper. Marvelous, simply marvelous. But there was something important I wish to discuss with Marcus regarding Mega Evolution." That comment made everyone stare at Marcus as if he were some scholar on the subject, but in reality he was just as lost as everyone else.

"Uhhhhhhh…." Marcus had no idea what was going on. "Huh…?"

"Oh…pardon me. It seems I got a little excited with my findings. Would you mind coming with me to my lab? It would be easier to show you than to tell you." Sycamore gestured for Marcus to follow him. With a shrug, the trainer returned his Gallade and followed Syacmore to his lab.

"Well…there he goes." Scott shrugged before standing up. "Ash…Lore…one of you be my sparring partners for Manectric. We have a long road ahead of us and we intend to win the tournament."

"You got it!" Ash nodded while preparing Pikachu for a spar.

"It's strange to be training with the competition, isn't it?" Lore pointed out, but Scott merely laughed and shrugged.

"As a psychic, I can foresee the outcome of almost any situation days before anyone else." Scott sounded a little smug with that statement.

"…So is that why you had a draw with Takeba after being so certain you would win?" Lore quipped. That comment made Scott go silent because there was no way anyone could have predicted that woman to be as smart as she was.

"…I can admit that one was a lapse in judgement. She played us all for fools." Scott coughed.

.

Meanwhile at the Battle Café, Wes was catching some serious bodies in the double battles. When he was by his lonesome, battling was a breeze just as Rui recalled it. There wasn't a pair in the Café that could stand up to Wes' double tactical movements. After a Psybeam/Dark Pulse combo from Espeon and Umbreon, the opposing Ferrothorn and Barbaracle fell over in defeat. "Geez…is our food ready yet? I've been at this for like…10 minutes."

"Keep going!" Rui cheered. "Until they all drop! You're almost there!" Yeah…Wes nearly had everyone in the restaurant beat within such a short time span. Where was this combative monster during the tournament? Sleeping because he had no interest in winning from the beginning.

"Geez…what's with this guy?!" Several people began to murmur as Wes just stood around waiting for the next challenger.

"Come on…I'd like to eat sometime soon." Wes sighed while shaking his head. "At least let the lady have some food." Right on cue, several waiters placed down the food on the couple's table. "Oh. There it is."

"Oh, let me try something!" Rui stood up and pointed at Espeon. "Use Psychic!" Espeon's eyes lit up in a bright neon blue hue, using its telekinetic abilities to lift Rui's plate into the air and into her eyes. "Ah ha. Got it."

"…It listened to you?" Wes tilted his head curiously.

"Duh." Rui spoke in a know it all voice. "I kept them company back in Orre whenever you didn't use them for the tournaments. I adore these two the most!" Placing her plate back down on the table, she crouched down to hug Umbreon and Espeon, the two of them nuzzling right back up to her.

"Huh." Wes crossed his arms while staring at the scene. "I guess they'd be good in your hands, then…"

"Did you say something?" Rui lifted her head up after just barely hearing Wes mutter something.

"No, nothing." Wes waved his hand.

Soon the head chef appeared from the back, giving a curt bow to both Rui and Wes. "Excuse me…you two. Would you like a commemorative picture for your very successful Battle Café run?"

"A picture? That would be great!" Rui tugged Wes' arm with a wide smile. "C'mon! And you better try and smile too, darn it."

This woman was difficult sometimes…at least to Wes anyway. But he tolerated it and let out a defeated sigh. "Fine…fine…" Wes and Rui got together side by side, Umbreon and Espeon right at their legs. Once they were ready, a picture was taken to commemorate the occasion!

Rui skipped over and smiled at the developed picture. "This turned out great, look!" It was a nice picture. Quite memorable at that. With all of that out of the way, it was finally time to eat.

"….." Wes was oddly silent the entire time. Perhaps he was just thinking about something? Who knows. When he was around Rui, things never seemed so bad. " _It's a real shame…"_

 _._

Shopping was a bad idea. Takeba was a monster. She bought the most out of all of them and just about everyone had to carry her bags or asked their pokemon too. The things friends did for each other…because this was ridiculous. "Come on, they all can't be that heavy."

"What did you buy…!?" Kayla struggled to speak while lugging a bag across the mall floor. "And why so much!?"

"I brought one of each outfit, duh." Takeba shrugged. "Not just for me of course! I have far too many for my own good. But I wanted to treat my friends to something nice! So you know…since it's yours, you can carry it."

"How do you have the money…for all of…this stuff…?" Elizabeth exhaled heavily.

"Even I…could've gone without this…" Serena panted.

"…Oh, right. I think this is the part where I mention I'm actually a member of one of the richest families in Kanto…" Takeba smiled awkwardly while rubbing the back of her head.

"HUUUH!?"

"You're just now telling us this?!" Lovrina dropped her bags and placed her hands on her hips. "Unbelievable. So when I asked you for a few dollars you TOTALLY had some to spare! I feel cheated."

"I feel lied to." Kasumi shook her head. Nobody could believe this, but based on Takeba's attitude it did fit.

"Okay, let me explain!" Takeba smiled nervously while taking a few steps back. "You see…nobody was supposed to find out! And I kind of forgot about it…"

"How do you forget about a fortune in your back pocket? I should've known something was up when you started pulling everything off the shelves without a care in the world…and suggested the shopping trip…and you're kinda stingy with the money too, aren't you?" Elizabeth was just going on and on about what she should've noticed in hindsight.

"That's why she wouldn't lend me a few bucks." Lovrina was holding onto this for life. "Incredible."

"So you're actually smart…apparently rich…it's clear the boys are all over you for several reasons…what else are you hiding from us?" Kayla joined in on the interrogation.

"Now I'm curious too…" Serena couldn't help but join in on the conversation.

"Uh…" Takeba took another step backwards and ended up bumping into a mannequin. This unfortunate collision caused a chain reaction; several mannequins following suit and toppling over to create an even bigger mess! "Uh-oh…."

"Now she's done it…" Grace couldn't bear to watch what was happening next. The chain of mannequins falling turned into several decorations crashing from the wall to the floor…the entire mall turned into a mess just from Takeba's one misstep!

Crash!

Boom!

Bam!

"…We should go." Grace gave shifty eyes. There was so much chaos going around nobody would notice if they slipped out the back!

Kasumi was right alongside them! Only to briefly halt as the black sparks flared around her body once again. She tried not to worry the others but it was too late and they noticed. "Agh…I-I'm fine…"

"You most certainly are not." Lovrina placed her hands on her hips. "What was that…?"

"N-Nothing…" Kasumi gave a fake smile. It was clear she didn't want to talk about it either…because she didn't know what it was. "I'm okay…really…"

"….."

A collective silence filled the air around the females. None of them were buying what Kasumi had to sell…

"We're taking her to the Nurse later, right?" Bonnie looked at the others and it seemed like they all had the same idea. "It's not right leaving you like that, right Squishy?" Squishy poked its head out from the pouch along with Dedenne, both of them giving a nod. "There!"

"But I…" Kasumi couldn't argue. "Fine…"

"I have to make a pit stop there too…" Elizabeth was reminded of something…and was the first one to leave, too.

.

The door to Cynthia's room opened. The Sinnoh champion was still unconscious due to her injury. Nurse Joy quietly let Elizabeth inside, but not before giving a warning; "Please do not disturb her. She needs all the rest she can get. She took a nasty blow to the head after all…she should only be resting for a few more days…" With that she departed and left Elizabeth alone.

"Okay…" The female inhaled before whispering. "Now that I've won this grand prix, I challenge you, Cynthia, to a battle…! …No, no. That's not right. Not the dramatic flair I'm looking for…" Yes, Elizabeth was really practicing calling out Cynthia to a battle while she was unconscious. She didn't have the guts like Marcus did back in Corriway…she could hardly even speak correctly to the champion. "As the winner of the Grand Prix…I challenge Champion Cynthia to a battle! Would that work…? Is she gonna laugh at me and reject me…? This is stressful…" With a defeated sigh, Elizabeth stared at Cynthia with a bit of a worried expression. "I hope she gets better first…"

"….mmm…" Cynthia began to stir.

"….!" Elizabeth's eyes widened and she just…fainted. Thud. Right on the floor. Unconscious.

Nurse Joy peaked into the room only to see the unconscious Elizabeth and shook her head. "…I don't get paid enough for this."

.

.

Next Time: The Climb To The Top!


	47. Chapter 47: Climb To The Top!

Today was the day. The curtain rose on the Lumiose Stadium as the top 8 of the Regional Tournament was finally set to begin! The crowd anxiously awaited the first matchups that were to occur…those actually competing were more than nervous about the situation to say the least. Ash was practically jittering in his seat! Clemont tried to calm him down, but to no avail. "…Sorry! I'm just so excited! This top 8 is gonna rock! We're totally gonna win!" Ash and Pikachu gave a nod to each other.

"Ha." Elizabeth let out a light chuckle at Ash's statement. "Correction; I'm going to take this. Then I'm gonna beat up Wes and challenge Cynthia…or Diantha to a battle. Either or, I'm not particularly picky."

"Your thirst can be quenched either way, right?" Lovrina quipped with a knowing smile.

"….I have no idea what you're talking about." Elizabeth had to glance away awkwardly at Lovrina caught onto her and threw her under the bus. "More importantly…how's Kasumi's condition? Serena was the last one on the rotation to watch her, right?"

"H-Huh…?" Serena seemed a little inattentive at the moment having only heard just her name. She and Kasumi shared a glance before both nodding. "Y-Yeah! She's fine! Nurse Joy said so herself!"

"Totally fine. 100%." Kasumi nodded. "I mean…as 100% as one can be in my condition…" …Serena and Kasumi seemed to be aware of something the others weren't. But it wouldn't do the others any good to question.

"GOOD MORNING!" The host exclaimed. He was just as hyped as everyone else for the final eight battles of the tournament to finally begin. "After a long and grueling road, we have finally arrived at the top 8 of the Regional Tournament! There have been many ups and downs…my job was briefly taken from me by the wonderful Lady Venus…there was drama…action…!" Off on the side on a different spectator viewpoint, Diantha and Sycamore sat together to watch the battles to come.

"Now he's getting carried away…" Takeba rolled her eyes. "HURRY UP I WANNA FIGHT!"

Takeba's complaint did seem to bring the host back into reality. Clearing his throat, the gaudily dressed male couldn't prolong the excitement any longer. "Here are the final eight competitors!" The host lifted his arm up, causing the images of the top eight trainers to appear in the center of the stadium: Ash, Marcus, Grace, Kasumi, Takeba, Scott, Elizabeth…and there was a question mark for the last one. Remember, Venus, using the last of her power, claimed that there would be one more person joining the top eight. She never did give the identity of this person.

"Ugh, that's right…" Elizabeth groaned while placing her hand on her forehead. "Even now that woman continues to haunt us. This is why I came battle ready. I don't trust how things are going to play out…anything involving Venus is a plague and curse that we can't escape from."

"I wish I could tell you to stop over exaggerating…" Rui could only sigh in agreement. Elizabeth hit the nail right on the head with those few statements.

"I'm worried about this mysterious person…" Marcus grumbled. Nothing to be suspicious of however, since Wes and Rui were sitting right next to one another the gang was all here.

"Maybe it's me." Lore suggested with several nods.

"Or me." Kayla objected.

"Sssh! They're about to announce the matches…! Oh, I'm so excited…!" Rui wasn't even in the tournament at all but she was still exited to see who would be facing off against whom.

"Before we begin, let me clarify one thing. This round will be the last three on three battles. For the semifinals onward they will be full six on six battles." The host explained. "But without further ado…let us begin!" The profiles began to shuffle around. The beginning of the top 8 was…: Kasumi vs The Mysterious Competitor, Grace vs Takeba, Ash vs Scott, and finally Marcus vs Elizabeth.

"So that's it, huh?" Immediately the tension within the group began to rose, competitive sparks flaring between those present. Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont could feel the tension in the air.

"Looks like I'm up first…" Kasumi said while standing up, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Don't push yourself." Marcus warned.

"I'll be fine. No Chiper means I have nothing to worry about…" Kasumi offered a small smile.

"…Yeah. Don't lose now." Wes offered a smile of his own. Of course only Kasumi was aware of the ulterior meaning behind those words.

"…I'll be right back. I forgot…uh…something." Lovrina coughed awkwardly before making her exit.

….

[Flashback]

During the few days before the top eight began, Kasumi was sent to bed rest after her little episode. The girls rotated watching her condition along with Nurse Joy. Yesterday, Serena was the one on duty. She offered since the others wanted to train. Nurse Joy came into the room with a bit of a serious expression on her face. "…Nurse Joy…? Is something wrong…?" Serena asked. It was very rare Nurse Joy had such a look on her face. "It's not that…" Nurse Joy shook her head. "After doing a careful analysis of your body…we've discovered something horrible. I don't entirely know what's wrong with your body…but it's beginning to reject itself."

"…What?" Kasumi didn't understand what Nurse Joy meant.

"I have been informed of your situation…but I cannot properly describe this in words…" Nurse Joy inhaled. "But…to put it as simply as possible: you are dying."

There was a stiff silence in the room as Kasumi and Serena heard the news. Kasumi cracked a smile, letting out a laugh of disbelief. "…It's not April yet." Ironically, her body began to spark once again with those bolts of darkness, causing her to groan in agony. "Ngh…ahhhh…"

Nurse Joy and Serena both cringed at Kasumi's symptoms. "From what I gather…the massive outbreaks you've had have severely affected your body negatively. Your body is rejecting the process and you've been severely damaged as well."

"I-It'll be fine when Kasumi gets healed with a Time Flute, right…?" Serena looked at Nurse Joy. "The darkness will leave her body and she'll be fine!"

"…I don't know about that." Nurse Joy continued. "The damage done to her body is irreparable. Furthermore…if she were to have another episode like in the first or fourth rounds of the tournament….it is just my suggestion that you drop out entirely."

To that, Kasumi shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid I can't do that…there's a lot at stake from my participation…I have to win."

"Should we tell the others…?" Serena asked.

"No…" Kasumi shook her head. "If they knew…they wouldn't be able to focus at all. I know it's stupid and selfish…but I'd rather them stay with their level of concern right now. I want them to enjoy themselves while they can…after the tournament I'll tell them. I-I'll at least last that long right?"

"Well, yes…but…" Nurse Joy didn't like Kasumi's attitude, but it was her decision in the end. "You should be fine well until the end of the tournament. As long as you do not push yourself to any extreme…"

[End Flashback]

That was the risk Kasumi signed herself up for. Because Wes threatened the safety of her friends if she didn't win…she had to win now. She was standing on the field, waiting for her opponent to arrive. The first field was a mountainous setting with a small stream cutting through the middle. "Geez…what's taking so long?"

After a few moments, a hooded figure appeared on the other side of the arena. From their size and stature it was easy to deduce that it was a female under the hood. "…Apologies for the wait. I got…lost."

"Are you with Chiper?" Kasumi immediately questioned while reaching for a pokeball. "I don't see why Venus would pick you otherwise…"

"Chiper? No…I entered a draft…and by luck it was me who entered." The female responded.

"Your name is…?" Kasumi quirked a brow.

"It's Lo…er…uh…Lo. Yes. Lo." Lo nodded several times as she tried to convince herself. "Anyway…enough of the chit chat. Let us get this battle started." Tossing a pokeball forward, Lo called forth her first pokemon: Milotic which appeared on the screen above.

"Right…" Kasumi quirked a brow before calling forth her first pokemon. "Galvantula, let's go!" From the capsule, the electrical bug appeared on the field.

"Galvantula vs. Milotic! Kasumi goes for the advantage right off the bat!" The host exclaimed.

"Kasumi gets the first move!" The ref pointed at Kasumi and it was time for the first battle of the top eight to begin!

"Galvantula, Electroweb!" Galvantula skittered across the field before released an electrically charged web that shot towards Milotic at rapid speeds!

"Aqua Ring!" Milotic howled before a ring of water appeared around its body, acting not only as a shield against the Electroweb, but would also serve to heal off any damage that was dealt to it in the process. "Now, Aqua Tail!" Slithering across the field, Milotic quickly made a home in the stream while lifting its tail up, shrouding it in a ton of water. The beautiful pokemon then swung its tail upwards, slamming right into Galvantula while sending it soaring into the air.

"Ah…! Electroball!" Galvantula recovered in midair, releasing a sphere of eletrcity towards the Milotic. It only managed to strike the Aqua Ring, meaning the damage dealt was completely voided! Galvantula landed and Kasumi was stuck in this situation. "Hmmm…ah! That's it! Thunder on the water!"

"…Get out of there!" Lo commanded. It was a little too late for Galvantula's Thunder struck the stream, inflicting a massive amount of damage on Milotic due to tis weakness! The Aqua Ring did mitigate some of the damage, but it wasn't enough to save Milotic from what was next to come.

"Energy Ball!" Galvantula inhaled before releasing an emerald sphere of energy at Milotic, who was paralyzed from the previous Thunder. Energy Ball broke through the Aqua Ring and slammed into Milotic directly, sending the water type tumbling across the rocky landscape as it was KO'ed.

"Milotic is unable to battle! Galvantula is the winner!" The referee pointed at Kasumi as Milotic's imaged grayed out.

"So far so good!" Marcus grinned. "…Where's Lovrina? I thought she was watching this…?"

"I think she said she had to do something…?" Elizabeth shrugged. "Her loss. Kasumi's doing pretty well so far."

Lo returned Milotic with a small smile noticeable on her lips. "Thanks, that was good. Okay…Roserade, you're up next!" Tossing the next pokeball forward, a Roserade elegantly landed on the battlefield.

"We'll take this one out too! Electroweb!" Starting off the same as before, Galvantula parted its pincers and unleashed an electrically charged spiderweb that soared towards Roserade.

"Poison Sting!" Roserade danced, pointing both of its red and blue bouquet arms forward. Violet needles rapidly released from both hands, easily tearing apart the Electroweb while striking Galvantula!

"Marvelous! Roserade is elegantly powerful!" Sycamore commented.

"Are you okay!?" Kasumi started at Galvantula with worry; the bug type was poisoned after the attack and was having a hard time moving.

"Petal Dance!" With a graceful twirl and spin, Roserade unleashed a twister of extremely powerful rose petals that lifted Galvantula into the air. The bug type was defenseless against the assault and was eventually slammed into the ground, KO'ed without being able to put up much of a fight.

"Galvantula is unable to battle! Roserade is the winner!" The referee pointed at Lo as Galvantula's imaged grayed out on the screen.

"This girl is good…" Grace stroked her chin. "But Kasumi can do it. She beat Venus after all…hard to imagine there's nothing she can do now."

Kasumi returned Galvantula with a smile. "Thank you. Take some good rest." Reaching for her hip once more, the blonde threw another capsule forward to call forth her next pokemon! "Magmortar, take the stage!" The mighty fire type appeared, battle ready as it was prepared to roast a grass type!

"She's staying with the type advantage…" Clemont pointed out. "A good tactic as usual, but from her battles prior she's never stuck this much to it."

"…Is she nervous?" Rui questioned. "I mean…being in the top eight of such a long standing tournament could be a little unnerving."

"I wonder…" Wes shrugged, acting as though he had not a clue to anything going on.

"Roserade, Sludge Bomb." Lo commanded. Roserade considered a sphere of rancid toxins before hurling it towards Magmortar.

"Fire Blast!" Magmortar opened up its arm, releasing a gigantic blaze in the shape of the kanji symbol for fire. The two attacks clashed over the stream and resulted in a large explosion that kicked up a smoke cloud!

"Poison Sting!" From the smoke, purple needles rapidly shot forth towards Magmortar, striking the fire type while it was unable to properly defend against itself.

"Focus Blast in that direction!" Recovering as best it could, Magmorator pointed its arm cannon forward, unleashing a massive blast of fighting energy in the shape of a yellow sphere. The remaining needless were easily overpowered as the Focus Blast struck Roserade, causing it to fly into the air. "Got it!"

"Petal Dance!" Twirling around in midair, Roserade flipped and unleashed yet another twister of petals. These petals swirled around Magmortar, dealing damage while obscuring its sight. The mindless Flamethrower's ensuring from the pokemon were horribly off mark and failed to get rid of all the petals preventing it from moving.

"Overheat!" All out! Magmortar's body shone a bright red color before an explosion of widespread flames erupted from its body! The petals from Petal Dance incinerated to ash and Roserade was caught up within its wake. Due to the sheer strength and power of Overheat, Roserade was soon defeated, lying on the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Roserade is unable to battle! Magmortar is the winner!" The referee once again pointed to Kasumi. Lo was only down to one pokemon now, while Kasumi still had two left!

"This is looking like an uphill battle for our surprising challenge! Will she be able to overcome this hurdle!?" The host questioned.

"I'd rather not…" Lo mumbled before calling forth her last pokemon. "Ninetails, let's at least give them a good show." Tossing her last pokeball out, an Alolan Ninetails appeared and let out a somewhat beautiful cry. Alolan Ninetail's ability caused it to hail, thus making it difficult to see the opposition.

"…Huh. Someone else has that Ninetails too?" Ash tilted his head curiously. Clearly the situation was just going over his head at the moment.

"Wait a second…" Kasumi tilted her head. "Are you…?"

"Dazzling Gleam." Ninetails darted through the snow and hail majestically, making it difficult to track its movements! Before Kasumi could truly get a read on the situation, Ninetails appeared before Magmortar and its body emitted a flashing light that sent the fire type staggering.

"There it is! Flamethrower!" Arm pointed forward and a stream of orange flame shot forth!

"Slam your tail into the water!" Ninetails ducked low while sending its tails into the water, kicking up a wall that acted as a barrier. The flames evaporated the water, turning it into harmless steam.

"No way…!" Kasumi wasn't expecting the water to be used like that. "Then we'll just hit them harder! Fire Blast!" Magmortar released another powerful blast of fire towards Ninetails. This one was a direct hit, but despite the super effective damage it didn't seem like Ninetails took that much damage and Kasumi realized why immediately: Overheat lowered Magmortar's special attack! "Ah crap…"

"Ice Beam!" Rearing its head back, Ninetails lurched forward while releasing a potent beam of ice towards Magmortar! An explosion occurred and Magmortar fell backwards with swirls in its eyes.

"Magmortar is unable to battle! Ninetails is the winner!" And with that, both Lo and Kasumi were down to one pokemon.

"Huh…" Lore tilted his head. "Quite a strange variation of Ninetails…a fire pokemon now being able to wield its polar opposite of ice? I must investigate this more when I am able."

Kasumi was getting a little nervous; she intended to sweep through this first round no matter who she had to fight…but "Lo" was giving her some issues. "Come on…give a girl some slack…I'm trying to win for your sake too…" Black sparks danced around her body a little bit, but she tried to remain calm nonetheless. "Blissey…help me out here…" Kasumi called out her faithful Blissey! The Happiness Pokémon flexed those stubby arms as usual, although it was pelted by the hail. "Ignore that! We have to take this thing down!"

"Blizzard!" Lo was giving no quarter! In the hail, Blizzard was an exceptionally powerful attack. The frozen wind came from all angles, giving Blissey a moderate amount of damage.

Kasumi waited calmly, listening for even the slightest of movements even with the hailstorm. She heard the pitter-patter of water and with that she was able to detect Ninetails' location. "Thunder Wave at the stream!" Without wasting a second, Blissey released a paralytic wave of electricity towards the stream. Twice now, she was able to catch Lo in that area. Thunder Wave hit its mark, sending Ninetails backwards while inflicting paralysis on it! Furthermore, the Hail was slowly beginning to recede. "You can't hide from us anymore!"

"Wasn't trying to!" Lo responded with a slight smirk. "Moonblast!" A sphere of energy formed above Ninetails, releasing a large beam of fairy energy that directly slammed into Blissey! The impact was so powerful Blissey was thrown backwards, but it managed to stay strong after such a powerful hit.

"Egg Bomb!" Blissey removed the egg from its pouch and chucked that sucker at Ninetails! Ninetails was going to evade, but the paralysis rendered it unable to move, and it was tossed backwards, sliding across the rocky landscape until coming to a halt.

"Ice Beam!" Another beam of ice was released in Blissey's direction, freezing over the stream and anything that dared to come into contact with it!

"Dodge it and use Seismic Toss!" Blissey took off, deftly evading the incoming Ice Beam just narrowly! Within the blink of an eye, Blissey appeared before Ninetails and scooped the pokemon up before tossing that sucker sky high! All remained silent for a moment and then Ninetails landed with a resounding THUD into the frozen stream, breaking apart the ice as the upper half of its body rested on the rocky ground, defeated.

"Ninetails is unable to battle! Therefore Kasumi is the victor and moves onto the semifinals!" The referee pointed at Kasumi. Blissey flexed in the process; how such this pokemon possessed such a high amount of physical strength was honestly staggering.

"Oh thank goodness…" Kasumi let out a huge sigh of relief. "…Why would you stress me out like that!?" She was speaking to Lo with such familiarity it made the female sigh heavily.

"…You're a performer right? Had to give the people a show." Lo rubbed the back of her neck while returning her Ninetails. With a slight shrug, Lo began to leave as did Kasumi.

"We have our first entry into the final four; Kasumi!" The host exclaimed. "Who else will enter the top four and the finals!?"

"She was pretty good…" Rui tilted her head.

Meanwhile, Serena was just glad Lo didn't push Kasumi to any extremes. She was the only one who knew about Kasumi's timer and to have to hide it from everyone else…it was very hard.

.

.

Next Time: For Glory!

Apologies for the long wait...! School and work and other games are combing me so hard at the moment. It will be a little slow but I will try my best to get chapters out!


	48. Chapter 48: For Glory

"The quarter finals of the Regional Tournament have been on fire!" Malva exclaimed while using James the camera to gesture to the next ongoing battle. After Kasumi defeated Lo, it was time for Grace and Takeba to go at it! Takeba was down two pokemon. Vileplume and Ditto and onto her last; Blastoise, while Grace still had Ursaring, Electivire, and Venusaur active. Takeba was putting up a valiant effort so far, having severely damaged Ursaring and Electivire; even Venusaur was looking pretty beat up but everyone knew how durable that pokemon was.

"Look at that twerp go…" Meowth commented at Grace's performance thus far. "It's almost as if she didn't even get knocked out before! Granted…she was dealing with one of those legendary beasts."

"Seems the top contender of the tournament is back in her prime." Malva commented. "Although Takeba has been putting up a strong effort! The battle isn't over yet."

"Let's go Grace!" Marcus cheered. They were all friends…but Marcus had been friends with Kasumi and Grace longer, so it was only natural.

Lovrina was back in her seat, one leg crossed over the other while munching in a donut. "This battle isn't nearly as close as the last one…at least on the surface, anyway."

"How you would know that?" Elizabeth prodded. "You weren't even present for that last battle….and you happened to arrive shortly after it ended." As if it weren't already obvious enough, but Lovrina was going to pleaded the fifth on this subject.

"Timing…?" She offered the suggestion with a nervous smile.

"Go Grace! Go Takeba!" And there was Bonnie, not taking either side on this matter. She liked them both after all.

"…" Kasumi remained silent on the matter. She was glad that Grace was as worry free as she could be. This was why she didn't want to tell Grace about her condition…it would drive the female mad to know all of her efforts didn't mean anything in the end.

Takeba let out a heavy sigh as she stared down the behemoth that was Venusaur. "You really got that spring in your step back haven't you?"

"I told you before this battle started…that I can't lose anymore." Grace replied while brushing her hair back. "Solar Beam." Venusaur began gathering solar energy within its bulb before unleashing it all in a widespread beam that cut across the dessert field at high speeds!"

"Aura Sphere!" Blastoise leaned forward, unleashing a sphere of energy that collided with the Solar Beam, resulting in a massive explosion. "Your other Pokémon have seen better days…Blastoise has been with me since the very beginning! All we have to do is break through Venusaur and we can do it!" The pinkette then reached into her open shirt and pulled out the Key Stone wedged between that chest of hers…it actually took her a few seconds before she found it. "Ah ha! Blastoise! Let's pump it into overdrive!" The Key Stone responded to Blastoise's Megastone, beams of light connecting trainer and pokemon. A shell formed around Blastoise and its body began to undergo a significant metamorphosis. When that light faded, Mega Blastoise was on the field!

"And Mega Blastoise has finally arrived!" The host exclaimed.

"Tch…!" Grace sucked her teeth in annoyance before clicking the Key Stone attached to her necklace. "We're not letting you go through! Venusuar, let's finish it!" Just as with Takeba, Venusuar's Mega Stone responded to Grace's heart and her Key Stone. Mega Venusaur appeared on the field once again for a second appearance. The fact Grace was resorting to this once again meant she not only had respect for Takeba's abilities as a trainer, and that she wanted to win no matter what.

"Here we go! It's a clash between Mega Pokémon!" The host exclaimed.

"She's really going all out…" Kasumi muttered.

"Ice Beam!" Blastoise opened its mouth, releasing a powerful beam of ice that struck Venusaur directly! While it seemed to be an effective hit, Venusaur eventually shrugged it off with a roar. "E-Eh!? What gives?!" Takeba huffed.

"Mega Venusaur's ability is Thick Fat." Grace explained. "Therefore, any and all damage from ice and fire type attacks are halved. …I thought you were smart? Well…it looks like you could use a little more schooling, don't you think? Maybe one day your brain will be as big as your chest."

OUCH. "…You're not supposed to attack the trainers in these things, too…" Takeba sheepishly responded while awkwardly rubbing her arm. "Aura Sphere, rapid fire!" With all three cannons, Mega Blastoise released several spheres in Venusaur's direction.

"Use your vines to knock them away!" Venusaur brought forth vines and began smacking the Aura Spheres away one by one, sending them to the ground or in the sky.

"Now we've got you! Rapid Spin!" Blastoise tucked its body into its shell and launched itself forward at incredible speeds!

"It looks like Blastoise is going in for what could be a finishing blow…" Diantha silently remarked while keeping her eyes on Grace.

Grace remained calm, just waiting for Blastoise to get a little closer. "….Frenzy Plant." Venusaur let out a roar while stomping one foot on the ground. Several large roots sprouted from the ground all at once in a wild frenzy! Takeba didn't have the chance to issue an escape plan due to how sudden the attack was! The vines wrapped around Blastoise before slamming the water type into the ground, leaving it defeated.

"Blastoise is unable to battle! That means Grace advances to the semifinals!" The referee pointed at Grace and Venusaur.

"Amazing! A sudden Frenzy Plant turns the tide of battle!" The host screamed. "Absolutely incredible!"

"When did Venusaur learn that…?" Ash questioned with widened eyes. That Frenzy Plant looked really strong.

"That's my girl!" Marcus cheered.

Takeba sighed, walking over to her Blastoise to help it up. "Thank you for your help. 7th place in this whole thing isn't bad at all. Rest easy." Takeba then returned her Blastoise and glanced up to see Grace with her hand extended. "…Heh. You better win now. You can't just beat a Kantonian Heiress and lose after that." After saying that, she took Grace's hand and shook it for a show of good sportsmanship.

"Haha…" Grace laughed. "I told you…I'm not gonna lose. Your support will be very welcome, though. And uh…sorry about that one comment. I'm trying to tone that part of me down…it's just a little hard sometimes."

.

.

Back in Chiper HQ, Ein was running some final adjustments of the Shadow Mewtwo Project. Mewtwo…did not look the same as he did before upon his capture. Constant exposure to the shadow energy turned his skin a pitch black shade and his eyes purple; there was an orange crystal jutting from his chest and out of his back, presumably the inject that kept his body fueled with shadow power. "There we go…" Ein chuckled. "That crystal will ensure that all shadow power will remain within his body. I don't see why we can't just attack now…but the Grand Master wishes to see the tournament reach its climax. He has a plan he hasn't made public just yet…"

"….." Mewtwo's eyes were closed, currently unresponsive. There was nothing within his heart that allowed him to fight back now that it had been successfully closed. The Shadow Project was not only complete, but it was already underway.

.

.

Ash and Scott where in the midst of their battle in the forest battlefield layout. Talonflame and Swanna had both fallen, currently leaving Pikachu and Chandelure to do battle and the two were extremely even! "Will-O-Wisp!" Scott commanded. Chandelure began to rapid fire blue wisps of flame at Pikachu, each one exploding in a small burst to cover even more distance!

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" Pikachu began darting forward along the grass, leaping out of the way of the incoming bursts of flame.

"Just as I predicted. Shadow Ball!" Chandelure stopped its rapid fire assault. There were still several embers that Pikachu had to deal with and while it was distracted a shadowy orb was unleashed in Pikachu's direction! It was a direct hit, a miniature explosion occurring as the mouse was thrown backwards!

"Pikachu are you okay!?" Ash worriedly glanced at Pikachu as it recovered and gave a slow nod. "Scott's really impressive…"

"As I told you…" Scott ran a hand through his raven hair while facing Ash with a smirk. "I am a psychic. I've seen you battle and I understand your quick wit and unpredictable nature. Your tricks will not be effective on me."

"Do you really think Scott's got him figured out?" Grace turned to the others.

"I had the same thought process as Scott once…" Clemont began. "Ash and I had a thrilling battle and I believed I had him figured out after watching him battle for so long. To be honest…even if you know Ash, that just makes him even more dangerous."

"There's no way Ash is going to lose." Serena gave a firm nod after speaking.

"Pikachu, into the trees!" Pikachu darted into the trees, using them to maneuver around the battlefield faster than Chandelure could see!

"I knew you'd use the trees! Now, set them ablaze with Flame Burst!" Scott grinned as Pikachu fell right for the bait. Chandelure pointed its arm forward, unleashing a potent burst of flame towards the trees. Even though Pikachu was nowhere in the immediate vicinity, the embers scattered in every which direction to set the other trees ablaze! This was going to flush Pikachu out eventually and both Ash and Scott knew it.

Although Ash didn't seem bothered by Scott's tactic at all; since he was focused on the trees and flushing Pikachu out, his attention was briefly off Pikachu! It was in that moment that they would strike! "Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Leaping out from the trees, Pikachu flanked Chandelure's right while rearing its tail back! Before Scott or Chadelure could react, Pikachu's tail slammed into the back of the ghost type, pushing it forward.

"You weren't using the trees as cover?!" Scott asked.

"Far from it!" Ash grinned. "Now, Electro Ball!" Pikachu gathered electricity on its tail, taking the shape of a small orb. Flicking its tail forward, the electric type flung the sphere forward and it collided against Chandelure, sending it flying back into one of the trees in KO.

"Chandulure is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" The ref exclaimed. Chandulure's imaged grayed on the big screen, leaving Scott with one more pokemon while Ash still had two to work with.

"It seems my insights still need some fine tuning…" Scott returned Chandelure with a smile. "You did excellently, my friend. Now…just leave the rest to Manectric and I." The psychic tossed his last pokeball into the air, calling forth his trusty Manectric to battle! The volt hound roared before taking a stance. If Scott couldn't win here, then this spelt the end of his tournament run! "I know for a fact that once Pikachu goes down…you will bring out that special Greninja of yours. I won't allow you to do anything else. I wish to face your true power and I will not accept anything else!"

"I was hoping you'd say that! Because I feel the same way!" Ash pumped a fist into the air!

"Heh…Manectric. Electric Terrain!" With a howl, Manectric released a powerful discharge that turned the forested area into a high voltage field of electricity! "Now the field is set in our favor. You won't be triumping so easily."

"We'll see about that! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash tried to use the Electric Terrain to his advantage. Pikachu unleased a powerful bolt of lightning towards Manectric…and it was a direct hit! …Or so it seemed.

Manectric did not budge as the Thunderbolt struck, leaving both Ash and Pikachu confused at first. "Surprised?"

"Thunderbolt didn't do anything?" Elizabeth tilted her head. "Then that means…"

"Oh, I know this one!" Takeba interrupted. "It's Lightning Rod!"

"Lightning Rod." Scott explained. "You did no damage…but I must thank you for increasing Manectric's strength. Wild Charge!" The electric type cloaked itself in a fierce veil of lightning that nearly shrouded its entire body. The volt hound then began to dash towards Pikachu.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu sprang up into the air, swinging its tail violently to clash with Manectric! Unfortunately for Pikachu, the boost from Lightning Rod only assisted the hound in overpowering the mouse, breaking through Iron Tail throttle Pikachu right into an electrified tree! Pikachu laid on the ground with swirls in its eyes to signify its KO, while Manectric took recoil damage.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Manectric is the winner!" The referee pointed at Scott and Pikachu's imaged grayed out on the screen above. It was down to one Pokémon on both sides now…

Ash walked into the electrified field to pick up Pikachu, carrying his partner over to his side of the field to set him down. "Thank you, Pikachu. Take it easy, okay?" Now it was time for Ash's final pokemon to make an appearance, and who else could it be but Greninja? "Greninja, I choose you!" Tossing the capsule forward, Greninja landed within the Electric Terrain, arms crossed as it glanced around at the field.

"You already know how this is going to go down…so I will not mince words." Scott held out the Key Stone within his pocket and held it forward. "From this point on…it is an all-out battle with everything we have left! Manectric, my trusted partner! Respond to my heart and surpass the limits of evolution! Mega Evolve!" Manectric's form began to shift as it underwent the process of Mega Evolution! Within seconds, Mega Manectric appeared and its ability: Intimidate activated, causing Greninja's physical attack to lower automatically. A slight advantageous edge Scott aimed to have over his opponent.

"Heh…" Ash grinned, undeterred by the fact Manetric's attacks were boosted by Lightning Rod. "You heard him Greninja. We have no choice but to go all out! So let's do this!" On that cue, the two entered their strange synchronization state! A veil of water exploded around Greninja before it condensed at took the shape of a shuriken on its back. Ash-Greninja entered the stage once again and the crowd was just as intrigued as ever!

"That mysterious Greninja has appeared again!" The host exclaimed. "I don't know what that thing is, but will it be able to stand against Manectric?!"

"Of course not." Scott scoffed before throwing a hand forward. "Flamethrower!" Manectric's maw opened up, unleashing a large funnel of flame that soared towards Greninja.

"Cut!" Greninja placed its hands on its thighs, forming two aquatic kunai that it used to slice through the Flamethrower before it could reach! With Flamethrower out of the way, Ash had a plan to deal with the disadvantageous Electric Terrain. "Use your Water Shuriken to get rid of the electricity!" Greninja grabbed the shuriken on its back and thrusted it into the ground! This caused the field to short circuit and return to normal!

"No way…" Marcus stared in pure amazement at Ash's tactic. "I didn't know you could use Water Shuriken like that…"

"That's Ash for you!" Serena grinned. "Always finding new ways to surprise you."

"You're craftier than I thought…." Scott admitted while gritting his teeth. "No matter. Use Thunder!" Manectric released a powerful bolt of lightning from its body and it raced towards Greninja, and it was a direct hit! Ash found himself grimacing from the blow as well, which did give off some initial worry but he seemed to be fine in the end.

"Dash at it and use Double Team!" Recovering from the hit like it was nothing; Greninja began speeding forward as several copies of itself in the process.

"Don't concern yourself with the fakes! The real one is in the middle! Take it out with Thunder Fang!" Manectric formed an electrically charged jaw around its maw and charged forward, forgoing all the copies and lunged at the jugular of the real Greninja!

Even though Scott saw through Double Team with incredible ease, Ash was still not bothered. "Water Shuriken!" Forming yet another shuriken along its back, Greninja used this to block Thunder Fang, keeping Manectric's mouth wide opened as it tried to bite down on the watery weapon. Greninja quickly rotated the shuriken within Manectric's mouth, causing it to explode and send the hound skidding backwards! "Aerial Ace!" Pushing forward with this offensive momentum, Greninja moved in swiftly, aiming a series of punches and kicks all over Manectric's body! The assault was so fast nobody could see it coming into the final roundhouse kick sent Manectric tumbling backwards.

"What a combo…" Diantha remarked silently.

"Are you all right?" Manectric stood up slowly, snarling to communicate that it was still capable of fighting. "Excellent! Thunder Fang once more!" Manectric darted forward, crunching down harshly on Greninja's midsection! It was a powerful blow that forced Greninja backwards while Ash once again recoiled from the hit.

"…" Kasumi remained utterly silent. It always did bother her that Ash-Greninja reminded her of…well, herself when she lost control. Her Shadow Unison with Dragonite, and Ash's Bond Phenomenon (although she didn't know the name of it) were too alike for her like it. Why was this? She couldn't understand it…but for some reason his condition seemed less severe than hers.

"We are bringing this to an end now! One more Wild Charge should finish it off. Full power!" Manectric howled as a fierce aura of electricity cloaked around its entire being! It was now or never to bring this to an end! With all the speed and strength it could muster, Manectric sped forward to slam its body into Greninja!

"Cut!" Greninja prepared to kunai once again. Knees bent and it sprang forward, crossing the blades at the last second before slashing with all its might! It all occurred in slow motion as Greninja and Manectric passed one another, leaving only a foot of space between them. All remained silent as neither pokemon fell over until…

Greninja winced as electrical sparks danced around its body; however Manectric was the one that fell. Its body reverted to normal and its eyes had swirls in them to signify its KO, and Scott's defeat.

"Manectric is unable to battle! Therefore, Ash is the victory and advances to the semifinals!" The referee pointed to Ash and the crowd cheered! His image appeared on the big screen with the 'VICTOR' right under it!

Scott merely smiled, leaning down to pet Manectric gently. "You did very well, my old friend. Thank you for giving it everything you've got. Now take a good rest." Scott returned Manectric while looking to Ash. "I have a confession…I knew I would not win. I had a vision last night about who the victor of this tourney would be…and it was not me. Nevertheless, I wished to face off against you with all of my strength."

"Really?" Ash stared at Scott with a slight sparkle in his eyes. "Who wins!?"

"…I'm not killing the surprise." Scott laughed. "But if you want to win, you have a hard semi-final ahead of you. Look at the contenders thus far."

Scott was right. Grace, Kasumi, and the winner of Marcus/Elizabeth. He already knew they were strong opponents, and he was as excited as ever to face them in a full battle. "I guess you're right."

.

And now…it was time for the last battle of the quarter finals. Marcus and Elizabeth stood across one another in the city field; several buildings scattered about the area as well as a sturdy concrete road. "No holding back, right?" Marcus questioned while having one pokeball at the ready.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Diantha's watching and I want to give her a good show." Elizabeth responded with a slight smirk.

"I'm sure she'll be entertained all the way through. Even when you lose." Marcus grinned in response. The tension was high already!

"Pffft." Scoffing, Elizabeth merely shook her head. As if she was going to lose in front of the Kalos Champion! There was just no way, she absolutely refused to. "Enough stalling. Let's get this show on the road."

.

.

Next Time: Sirnight, White Knight.


	49. Chapter 49: Sirnight, White Night

"Here we are! The final match of the quarter finals: Marcus vs Elizabeth! The winner of this match will be advancing into the semifinal round!" Malva exclaimed, making sure James kept the camera on her and used the field as a backdrop. "The city terrain will provide an interesting field. Just how will these two trainers react!?"

"Elizabeth will get the first move. Trainers at the ready!" The ref exclaimed while speaking from the top of one of the buildings. Don't worry about him, since all referee's somehow avoid any injury.

"Luxray." Flinging her pokeball out, the capsule opened up to reveal her Luxray, which let out a roar as it was called upon. Luxray's image appeared in the first pokeball slot in Elizabeth's side.

"Rapidash, let's go!" Marcus tossed out his first pokeball to call out his Rapidash! He was bringing in some old faces from the preliminaries for the tail end of this tournament it seemed.

"Oooh, Rapidash!" Bonnie admired how majestic the fire stallion looked.

"This is going to be a promising battle…" Lore nodded several times.

"Ready or not, here we come." Elizabeth smirked just slightly before issuing the first command of the battle. "Luxray, Swift!" Luxray swung its tail forward, releasing an array of stars towards Rapidash. Swift always had very precise accuracy, and Elizabeth put a spin on this by having the stars move around the buildings, aiming to converge on Rapidash from various angles!

Marcus could see that Elizabeth intended to corner him from the start on the ground. So he would use another option and take to the air! "Bounce!" With its superior leg muscles, Rapidash sprang high into the air just as the stars converged on its former location to explode. Now above Luxray, it was actually a rather optimal position to strike!

"Watch out!" Elizabeth ordered. Luxray deftly evaded to the side just as Rapidash slammed its hooves into the ground! The impact shook the earth slightly and Marcus was far from finished.

"Flamethrower!" Opening its mouth, Rapidash unleashed a powerful emission of flames that briefly consumed Luxray. The electric type had to hold its ground to prevent from being blown away!

As soon as the flames receded, Elizabeth took the initiative. "Thunder Fang!" Along Luxray's maw, a jaw of lightning form and it sped forward. With a powerful leap, Luxray sunk its electrical into Rapidash and a small explosion of lightning occurred from the impact! Rapidash was sent stumbling backwards as it attempted to regain its balance.

"Don't let up! Iron Tail!" Luxray took to the air, allowing its tail to shine brightly and it swung its tail towards Rapidash's head to knock it down!

"Megahorn!" Rapidash regained its balance as the horn on the top of its head shone brightly and doubled in size! With a swift duck, Rapidash leapt forward to slam its horn into Luxray's underbelly! The hit was surprisingly strong and Luxray was lifted off its feet and hit a building pretty harshly before falling onto its side. Luxray wasn't down yet, snarling as it stood back up.

"Tch…what the heck is up with this Rapidash?" Elizabeth grit her teeth silently. Marcus started off with one hell of a heavy hitter…

"Fun fact…" Grace piqued up to grab the attention of the others. "Rapidash is actually the very first pokemon Marcus started off with. "Whenever he feels a battle may be incredibly tough, he usually brings it along."

"Really?" Lovrina seemed to have some interest in this for whatever reason. "Huh, how about that." And then she went back to filing her nails. "No wonder that thing hits like a truck. It must have been through a lot…"

"No kidding…" Kasumi sighed. "It's a tough cookie."

"It's so majestic…." Rui said while tugging on Wes's sleeve. "We gotta get one."

"Wha…?" Wes turned his head to Rui and let out a sigh. "You have some strange requests…."

"Flamethrower!" Rapidash's mouth opened and another stream of flame was unleashed in Luxray's direction.

"Swift!" Swinging its tail forward, Luxray sent forth another array of stars to clash with the Flamethrower. The result was an explosion, smoke filling most of the city arena. "Wild Charge!" Wasting no time, Luxray cloaked its body in a wild, untamed surge of electricity and proceeded to dash forward towards Rapidash.

"Flare Blitz!" Rapidash cloaked itself in an aura of fierce flames. Galloping forward, the majestic fire horse planned to meet Luxray halfway…and it did! The two collided against one another for a stalemate of fire and lightning! A large explosion eventually occurred from the collision of powers and blew both pokemon away! Luxray and Rapidash tumbled along the street before Rapidash stood up, red sparks appearing around its body due to the recoil it took. As for Luxray…..

"Luxray is unable to battle! Rapidash is the winner!" The referee pointed down at Marcus as Luxray's imaged grayed on the big screen.

"What a powerful Rapidash." Diantha smiled slightly at the work Marcus' Rapidash put in.

"Simply marvelous." Sycamore commented.

Oooh…Elizabeth could feel that. Diantha was praising her opponent! This wasn't the impression she wanted to leave with the champion watching. Her game needed to step up right now! "Thank you, Luxray. Take a good long rest. The others can handle this. Charizard, I choose you!" After returning Luxray, Elizabeth sent out her Charizard! The Kantonian starter let out a roar while emitting some flames in the process.

"Fighting fire with fire, huh?" Marcus quirked a brow. "Rapidash and I go way back. It's gonna take a lot more than that to bring us down. Flamethrower!" Not caring much for the type disadvantage, Rapidash spat out some flames towards Charizard!

"Evade it and use Shadow Claw!" Charizard took to the skies, not allowing the buildings to hinder its progress as it skillfully evaded the Flamethrower. The fire type then descending, flying past Rapidash while delivering a savage slash across its midsection for a hit of critical proportions!

"Tch…Solar Beam before it gets away!" Gathering solar energy within its horn, Rapidash soon unleashed a widespread beam of light in Charizard direction!

"Flamethrower!" Charizard turned and released its own flames at the incoming Solar Beam. The two attacks clashed and exploded! Charizard's back hit a building and…its form began to fuzz? One could see where this was leading.

"…Ah…so that's what's going on here…" Marcus noticed. "Megahorn!" Rapidash galloped forward at high speeds, aiming to slam its horn into 'Charizard's' stomach!

"Guess the Skitty's out of the bag. Night Daze!" Zoroark allowed its illusion to fade as Rapidash grew closer. Once the horse was too close, Zoroark unleashed a widespread haze of darkness that completely overtook the stallion, causing it to crash into the building behind Zoroark in KO.

"Rapidash is unable to battle! Zoroark is the winner!" With that exclamation, Rapidash's image grayed on the screen as Charizard's portrait was replaced with Zoroark.

"With a surprising turn of events, Charizard turns out to be Zoroark!" Malva exclaimed.

"So many strong pokemon out here…" Jessie remarked with a thieving grin on her face. "I can't wait to snag them all! Giovanni will be pleased with our findings once this tournament is over."

"For sure…" James chimed in. "The twerps won't know what hit them…"

"Thank you, Rapidash…" Marcus returned Rapidash with a smile. "Not bad…almost fell for your trick there."

"Zoroark and I go way back." Elizabeth replied. "Just because you can see past its tricks doesn't always mean you're going to beat them."

"Very impressive. Diantha nodded. "Zoroark has always been a fascinating pokemon…I'm glad she is able to put its illusory abilities to good use."

Oooooh…praise. That was what Elizabeth lived for.

"Dewott, you're up next!" Marcus' next pokemon was that fierce Dewott of his! The otter landed on its feet in a battle ready position.

"And Marcus' next pokemon is Dewott! Will it prevail over Zoroark!?" The host asked.

"This one…" Elizabeth was well aware this Dewott was stronger than most fully evolved Pokémon with its track record thus far, so taking it lightly because it was a mid-stage evolution was completely out of the question. "Shadow Ball!" Zoroark formed a violet-black sphere within its palms before shooting it forward across the cityscape towards Dewott!

"Fury Cutter!" Dewott reached for a scallop on its thigh, brandishing a violet blade from the shell. With a single, swift slash, the incoming Shadow Ball was cleanly sliced in half before it began darting forward. "Keep it up!" Reaching for the other scallop, Dewott aimed to slash as Zoroark once it got in close range!

"Shadow Claw!" Both claws of Zoroark were cloaked in darkness and it lunged forward to meet Dewott in the middle. The two suddenly found themselves in fierce close combat, meeting slash for slash with neither side letting up. Sparks flew from the collision and neither pokemon planned on letting the other go!

"Keep using Fury Cutter." Marcus commanded calmly.

"Don't let it escape!" Elizabeth commanded.

The back and forth exchanged continued until Dewott found an opening and slashed across Zoroark's chest! The impact was incredibly strong as Zoroark was thrown backwards a little bit with widened eyes.

"A direct hit!" Kayla exclaimed. "That had to have hurt…Fury Cutter one of the few moves that only get stronger with consecutive use…not to mention its super effective on a dark type like Zoroark."

"You good?" Zoroark stood up and nodded. "Excellent. Night Daze!" Once again, Zoroark unleashed a dark mist, only this time it wasn't meant for offensive! This mist clouded the small arena, shrouding the dark type from view. "Now…Shadow Claw!" It didn't seem like much at first, but Zoroark used its speed to keep from being tracked, flying past Dewott while slashing at it! Dewott stumbled back and forth with each hit aimed at its body.

"Dewott, calm down!" Marcus demanded. "Use your senses, and when you track it down hit it hard with Razor Shell!" Dewott nodded calmly to its trainer's commands, allowing aquatic blades to form along its shells. It used its ears to track Zoroark….now! Eyes opened and it brought its scallops forward to defend against the next Shadow Claw! Zoroark leap away and the mist cleared, now giving the opposition a clear shot at them. "Ice Beam!"

"Flaemthrower!"

The two opposing pokemon unleashed their beams of fire and ice respectively. The two opposing elements clashed in the center of the field, only to result in a massive explosion that created nothing but more smoke!

"Now's our chance! Aqua Jet!" Water exploded around Dewott and it sped forward towards Zoroark with incredible speed!

"Stop it with Shadow Claw!" Zoroark's claws enlarged with darkness once again, bringing its claws forward to halt Dewott's Aqua Jet! It was struggling to hold its ground while keeping Aqua Jet at bay, but on the opposite end Dewott was struggling to push forward to break through before Shadow Claw could end it! Eventually both ends ended up being unable to follow through and they were thrown backwards into separate buildings, swirls in their eyes to signify their defeat!

"Both Dewott and Zoroark are unable to battle! This is a draw!" That said, both images of the pokemon grayed out…leaving both sides with only one pokemon each.

"This is getting intense…" Ash commented.

"These two are really going at it…then again; it is a spot for the top 4, so I can understand why…" Lovrina was actually pretty invested into the battle herself. "Although…I did let Elizabeth borrow a little something of mine to put her on an even playing field along with the rest of you…" That remark got her some looks from the others.

"…What did you do?" Serena lifted a brow accusingly.

"Nothing bad, I swear!" Lovrina smiled. "You'll see!"

"Thanks." Both Marcus and Elizabeth returned their pokemon.

"So…one on one…" Elizabeth sighed. "I was hoping for a blowout to be completely honest. Then Diantha would have to acknowledge my talent and efforts. But for some reason I had a feeling you weren't going to let me have it."

"Of course not!" Marcus smiled innocently. "That's something you'll have to work on your own time. But enough chit chat…Gallade, let's go!" Marcus' final pokemon was his trusted Gallade. The fighting type had its cape secured to its shoulders and there was a fresh Mega Stone on it….

"Gardevoir, it's all on you!" Elizabeth's last pokemon was her Gardevoir, which had a bracelet with a Mega Stone placed securely on it.

"It's the final showdown for top 4! Gallade vs. Gardevoir! Which one will come out on top!" The host shouted from pure excitement and anxiousness.

"Gardevoir, Psychic on the rubble!" Gardevoir's body gave off a soft neon blue light as it used its telekinesis to lift up all the rubble scattered about from the partially broken buildings. Without further command, all of that rubble was sent flying towards Gallade!

"Gallade, Night Slash!" Gallade's bladed arms shone a bright violet light before it dashed forward, slicing through all of the rubble coming its way like ease! At the end of it all, the rubble was reduced to nothing! "Psycho Cut!" Lifting one blade up, kinetic energy engulfed the limb before Gallade swung it forward, unleashing a crescent slash in Gardevoir's direction.

"Shadow Ball!" Thrusting its arms forward, a ball of darkness was released towards the Psycho Cut. The two attacks exploded in the center after a fierce stalemate.

"Close Combat, let's go!"

"Return!"

Gallade entered close combat range of Gardevoir and began swinging! Despite Gallade's swift movements, Gardevoir was elegant and evaded every single hit delivered! Gardevoir also attempted to strike several times with Return, Gallade was just as proficient in defense as Gardevoir was in evasion! The two briefly clashed before springing back to the sides of their trainers.

"A heated battle! Neither side is letting up! This is amazing!" The host could barely contain his excitement. "Which one of these trainers is making it to the top 4!?"

"I can see how you kept up with Cynthia for a little bit…" Elizabeth sounded…a little jealous when she spoke. "You and Gallade are something else…but this is my time to shine." Lifting a necklace from her pocket, the bluenette wasted no time in holding it forward. "Gardevoir! It's time! Respond to my heart and surpass Mega Evolution!"

"Oh…?" Diantha quirked a brow. "She too possesses a Mega Gardevoir…?"

"Wait…when did she get a Mega Stone?" Takeba looked around to see if anyone had the answers.

"Guilty!" Lovrina hummed. "Don't tell her I told you this, but she was a little worried she didn't have anything special to keep up with you Mega Evolution users and that outrageous Greninja…" Her emerald irises cut to Ash who tilted his head. "So…I decided to lend her a helping hand and I let her borrow my Keystone and Megaring. I want to see everyone fight to the best of their abilities after all!"

"Man, you're nice." Kasumi snickered, which made Lovrina blush and look away like the tsundere she tried to be.

Mega Gardevoir appeared on the field in its full elegance, sparkles raining down on its body gently. With a wide grin at its beauty, Elizabeth stared to Marcus. "Well? Are you ready?"

"Heh…" Marcus held up his own Mega Stone…not the previous one that was cracked and recommended unusable. The sight of this made everyone's eyes widened. "Gallade, let's strut our stuff! Mega Evolve!"

"Wait…when did HE get one!?" Grace flailed her arms comically. "His was broken…!"

"I was wondering if he'd use that…" Sycamore smiled slightly. "I called him over to my lab because I happened to find a Mega Stone perfectly compatible with his Gallade. Much safer use than the one he was holding onto. Marvelous, isn't it?"

"You never cease to surprise, Augustine." Diantha smiled softly.

Mega Gallade, the White Knight appeared from its Mega Evolution! Mega Gallade vs. Mega Gardevoir; a matchup that was going to be remembered!

"Gallde! Psycho Cut!" With its sharped blades shining a bright light, Gallade swung both of its scythe-like arms forward, unleashing two gigantic crescent blades of kinetic energy towards Gardevoir! These cleanly shredded through any buildings in the way as they raced towards Gardevoir!

"Hyper Voice!" Gardevoir parted its lips, its voice reaching beyond that of an opera singer! The impressively powerful soundwave disrupted the Psycho Cut, causing them to dissolve as the now Fairy Type move struck Gallade's ears! Thanks to Pixilate, any normal type moves used by Gardevoir were Fairy Type, and Fairy was super effect against Fighting! "Now Moon Blast!" A large sphere of energy formed over Gardevoir's body to fire off a beam of fairy energy towards Gallade!

"Night Slash!" Gallade recovered from the Hyper Voice, crossing its blades in front of its body to slice through the Moon Blast, deflecting the beam off to the side before rushing Gardevoir down. "Let's go!" Brandishing its sharp blade, Gallade landed a swift strike against Gardevor's midsection to push it back! "Keep attacking!"

"Dodge them and fire back with Shadow Ball!" Gardevoir regained its footing and proceeded to once again elegantly evade Gallade's slashes, firing off a Shadow Ball whenever it could. Unfortunately for Gardevoir the Shadow Balls were sliced like butter and had no effect! "Psychic!" Pushing an arm forward, Gardevoir unleashed a powerful wave of telekinetic energy that pushed Gallade back into a building! "Now we can breathe…Hyper Voice!"

"Not this time! Shadow Sneak!" Gallade's shadow was incredibly fast, appearing behind Gardevoir's in an instant to strike its back and push it forward. "Now Close Combat!" While Gardevoir was off balance, Gallade rushed in to land a series of punches and kicks along the opposition's body, ending its combo with a fierce kick to the chest to send Gardevoir tumbling along the ground before coming to a halt.

"Don't let up…Hyper Voice!" Gardevoir stood up once again, its voice reaching a high level as the soundwaves crushed Gallade once again! Gallade staggered backwards, suffering from the clearly effect hit. This could have been it if Elizabeth played her cards correctly. "Keep it up! Don't give a moment to recover!"

"We're not finished yet! Gallade, Psycho Cut!" Gallade lifted its arm up and gave a horizontal slice. The incoming blade was so sharp it sliced through the Hyper Voice, pushing Gardevoir backwards and left both trainer and pokemon surprised. "Now we're the ones going to end it! Give it all you've got!" Gallade let out a battle cry as the kinetic energy along its arms expanded into sharp rainbow-hued blades.

"…!" Elizabeth remembered seeing something similar to this; when Marcus fought Cynthia's Garchomp, although this didn't look as potent, it was still dangerous. "Moon Blast, full power!" Gardevoir let out battle cry as it gathered the moon's power for one final strike! The result was a massive, widespread beam of magic that completely tore through the cityscape as it aimed to take down Gallade! It all happened so quickly, yet in slow motion at the same time. Gallade brought both of its arms forward to briefly form a singular blade of energy that was unseen by everyone else! All everyone could see was the final explosion that shook the entire stadium! Even the trainers battling couldn't keep their balance and landed on their rears. They didn't move….but they kept their gaze on the arena to see who emerged victorious…

The smoke steadily began to clear, leaving one silhouette visible within the cloud. The one that had fallen was…

"Gardevoir is unable to battle! Therefore, Marcus is the victor and advances to the semifinals!" With that, Marcus' imaged displayed on the big screen as the victor!

"AMAZING!" The host yelled. "After a fierce battle, Marcus ends up on top and advances onward!"

"…WHEW…oh man…" Marcus let out a heavy sigh of relief as the results were posted. "That was too close…."

"Not close enough…" Elizabeth sighed and returned Gardevoir, thanking it for its efforts in battle. "You got me. In front of Diantha no less…" She seemed less upset about the loss itself…more so upset that she put up such a pitiful show with Diantha watching! Still, she displayed a smile nonetheless. "Welp, looks like you can't lose now. If you beat me and lose right after, I'm going to be very upset, do you understand?"

"I got it…I got it…" Marcus laughed while rubbing the back of his head. "Top 4…"

"Hmmm…" Wes curiously stared at the battlefield. "What a battle."

"Is that all you have to say?" Bonnie looked at Wes like he was crazy. "That battle was amazing!"

"That concludes the quarterfinals of the tournament! However, before we all leave for tomorrow, let us see the matches for the semifinals!" The host turned everyone's attention to the screen where the profiles of Ash, Marcus, Kasumi, and Grace were shuffled around a bit. There was slight tension in the air as the suspense hung high! When it was complete the next two battles were…

Marcus vs Grace and Kasumi vs Ash!

"…Oh thank goodness…" Kasumi let out a heavy sigh while grinning towards Grace. "I don't know what I would've done if I had to fight you…" While she said it with a jest…her current circumstance made that statement more real than she would've liked it to be.

"Me too…" Grace sighed. "I'm still both of your seniors. I can't have you beating me just yet." Oh…if only she knew the situation. Perhaps then she wouldn't be saying it.

"We're gonna have a good battle, Kasumi!" Ash smiled. "Our battle before never finished. So we'll call this one the decider, yeah?"

"Yeah!" Kasumi nodded. That battle was going to decide something all right. One could only imagine the twinge Wes' lips had at the brewing situation. Causing internal strife between this group was perhaps the most fun activity he had yet…and he hadn't even started to get serious with his plans yet.

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Next Time: Clash Between Rivals; Redux!


	50. Chapter 50: Clash Between Rivals Redux!

Another sleepless night for Kasumi. While the others were sleeping soundly due to the excitement of the day, she just couldn't. She had a lot on her mind and winning the tournament was at the very top considering the blackmail she was under. Kasumi wandered the beautifully lit Lumiose City, making sure not to stray too far away from the hotel. Finding a bench, she found herself staring up at the sky. It wasn't much longer before Lovrina sat down next to her. "Can't sleep?"

"Oh…hey." Kasumi smiled softly while nodding. "Mhm…the tournament has left me a little antsy. Plus battling you wasn't exactly easy."

"T-That wasn't me…" Lovrina coughed. "Anyway…you shouldn't be out for very long you know."

"I know." Kasumi sighed. "I just wanted some fresh air."

A moment of silence occurred between the two girls before Lovrina spoke again. "Hey so…I have a question. I know this is out of the blue and everything, but…let's say you could be saved with a Time Flute, or something…you know those things are only one-use, right? What if…there was something a little bigger than yourself that needed to be taken care of? Would you want us to help you…or…"

Kasumi didn't have the slightest clue where this question came from, or why Lovrina was asking it. Still, her answer was pretty clear cut nonetheless. "I'd rather you guys put more effort into saving something bigger than me. The world is a much bigger thing than I am, you know? Besides…I don't want you to waste your time with me…."

"…You're pretty selfless." Lovrina tilted her head slightly. "I thought you'd be so sick of things that you'd want to be cured by now…"

"I am sick of it." Kasumi admitted. "Don't get me wrong…I hate all of this. But even I know there are worse things out there with Chiper's activities…it would just be better for you guys to deal with that. I still don't think Venus was the brains behind the operation…but I guess that's just speculation at this point. Say, can I ask you something now?"

"Huh?" What could Kasumi have to ask her?

"Have we…met before…? It feels a little hazy, but I remember seeing you somewhere before…" Kasumi narrowed her eyes while examining Lovrina's face.

"I-I don't think so…." Lovrina proceeded to sweat as Kasumi drew closer. While Kasumi was having trouble defogging the memory, Lovrina remembered clear as day. It was during the beginning research of Shadow Trainers of which Kasumi became the prime test subject. It was Lovrina's research that led to this after all, and now that she'd gotten to know Kasumi as a person…well, she just felt awful about it. "A-Anyway…it's getting late, you know."

"Yeah yeah….I gotta fight Ash again tomorrow. That's going to be tough…" Kasumi sighed once more.

Not too far off, Grace the little eavesdropper was listening in on the conversation. In truth she was just worried about Kasumi, even more so with Lovrina around. But…things seemed to be okay. "…I should get going too…"

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And so, the next morning arrived! The stadium was just as jam packed as it was yesterday for the semifinals! "Good morning Kalos! We are here today for the beginning of the semifinals of the Regional Tournament! After today, there will only be two people left! I know I'm excited!" The host really couldn't get enough of this action. He was really glad this idea didn't fall through like most thought it would.

Malva was at it once again with Team Rocket as her pit crew. "Good morning, everyone! Here live from Lumoise City, the semifinals of the Regional Tournament are about to begin! The semifinalists are Ash, Kasumi, Grace, and Marcus. These four talented trainers will be battling for a spot in the finals!"

"Woohoo!" Takeba dressed up a little extra for the occasion. By that, I mean she was wearing a cheerleading outfit while shaking those pompoms around. …And actual pompoms too. Beside her was…another her. That Ditto of hers also mimicking her actions and cries.

"This is a little….." Serena wasn't quite sure what the word was.

"Disturbing…?" Kayla offered.

"…I don't see the problem here." Lore kept a calm composure, even as Takeba was…well…. bouncing around rather eagerly.

"I don't believe this…" Rui huffed while smacking Lore and Scott in the back of the head's since they were openly staring, even though Takeba didn't seem to notice. She didn't smack Ash, Clemont, or Wes, because they just weren't looking. Ash was just too oblivious, Clemont had to keep Bonnie's eyes safe, and Wes…he just didn't seem to care all that much. "Keep your eyes on the battlefield! Not the…uh…cheerleader!"

"It's kinda hard to do that…when there's four—t-two of them bouncing around like that!" Lovrina huffed while trying to correct her mistake.

"What's going on…?" Ash looked at Clemont. Serena was really glad Ash was as dense as he was strong at this moment.

"Ditto and I go way back, see." Takeba explained. "Doesn't it look just like me!" Both Takeba smiled brightly. "Sometimes I used it to skip class…but you didn't hear that from me."

"I can see the resemblance." Elizabeth leaned in to one of the present Takeba, a sly grin stretching onto her lips. "Ditto's even mastered that somewhat vacant look in your eyes."

"T-That's me…!" Takeba flailed her arms while huffing. Everyone always enjoyed poking fun at her and it got them a laugh too. "You guys are mean…."

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Marcus was waiting on the field, whistling as he spotted Takeba from afar. The big screen may or may not have zoomed in on her for a little bit before the cameras corrected their mistake. "Man…"

"Stop staring!" Grace shouted to catch Marcus' attention. "You're embarrassing yourself! There's more to that girl than her balloons…"

"You sure I'm the one embarrassed?" Marcus pointed at Grace. "Your cheeks are incredibly red right now…"

"That's not the point…" Grace cleared her throat as her cheeks returned to normal. "…What makes it so irritating is the fact I can't even tell if she knows what she's doing or not…"

The field then began to rise from the center. The first field they would be doing battle first was the forest field! Plenty of trees scattered around the area while the referee stood in the center of the field. "This is a full 6 on 6 battle! When one side reaches 3 pokemon, the field will then change. The battle is over when one side's pokemon are unable to battle. Now, send out your pokemon!"

"Right." Grace nodded while tossing her first pokeball up into the air. "Ursaring, let's go!" The capsule opened and the bright white light revealed Ursaring! The bear pokemon yawned while scratching its stomach. Despite lazy appearances this bear was ready to fight.

"Right…" Marcus nodded and tossed his fist pokeball out. "Staraptor, it's all you!" When the capsule opened, Staraptor flapped its wings while letting out a caw. Staraptor's Intimidate would serve useful, slicing Ursaring's physical attack down a stage.

"Grace gets the first move! Battle…begin!" The referee threw his hands down and without further ado, the first battle of the semifinals was set to begin! Marcus vs. Grace: 6 on 6!

"Ursaring, Stone Edge!" Ursaring roared before slamming its fist into the ground. This caused multiple azure stones to rise up sporadically along the forested ground to strike Staraptor.

"Use Steel Wing!" Staraptor flew high into the air, allowing its wings to shine brightly. The avian began to skillfully weave in and out through the rising stones. Any stones that stood in its way were destroyed by its powerful wings! With nothing standing in its way any longer, Staraptor dove right for Ursaring!

"Slash!" Ursaring reared its claws back and extended its arms. Slashing forward, Ursaring clashed with Staraptor's wings while holding its ground, sliding back just slightly from the momentum Staraptor held. "Toss it!" That clash then turned into Grace gaining the initiative, tossing Staraptor onto the ground with force! "Hammer Arm!"

"Get out of there with Quick Attack!" Staraptor fumbled around a bit after it was tossed, but with its speed it managed to dart out of the way just as Ursaring's arm crashed down onto the ground with a tremendous impact! A blue light briefly shone around the bear to show that its speed was lowered after such a move. "Now, attack!" Staraptor flapped its wings before diving down, striking Ursaring from various angles! Ursaring could only stumble in whichever direction Staraptor struck from!

"He's totally in the lead…!" Takeba shook those pompoms – the actual one's mind you – while huffing. She did want Grace to win, but she did admire Marcus' fighting spirit.

"Hm…" Kasumi narrowed her eyes as Ursaring looked seemingly helpless.

Grace didn't usher and command just yet. She just waited for the right moment to strike…and that was when… "Now, use Payback!" Just before Staraptor could strike again, Ursaring slammed its claw into the bird's chest with incredible might! Staraptor found itself flying backwards until it hit a tree!

"Ah…!" And it was then that Marcus realized Grace's plan. Payback's power did double after the user went after the foe. It was almost like Intimidate didn't even come into play with a strike like that. "Are you okay?!"

"Don't let up! Slash!" Ursaring roared once again before sprinting forward as fast as it could, rearing its arm back to finish Staraptor with a fatal Slash!

"Close Combat!" Snapping back into action, Staraptor used its talons to rapidly kick at Ursaring as it slashed! It's abilities were surprisingly adept and the avian flew at a low altitude, aiming rapid kicks at Ursaring who just barely managed to fend anything off! Damage was still being dealt as this assault continued! The final kick did manage in knocking Ursaring off its balance, where the final strike was to come! "Brave Bird!" Wings spread, a fierce blue fiery aura flaring around Staraptor's body as it dove forward and slammed into the unprepared Ursaring! An explosion occurred on impact and Staraptor landed on a tree branch, suffering some recoil as a result.

Ursaring laid on the ground with swirls in its eyes after the Close Combat/Brave Bird combo. "Ursaring is unable to battle! Staraptor is the winner!" That being said, Ursaring's image grayed out on the big screen, leaving Grace with only 5 pokemon left.

"That was awesome!" Ash pumped a fist into the air.

"Hmmm…" Wes was intrigued, of course; purely because he wanted to see if this battle would make or break Grace with the stress imposed on her.

"Thank you, Ursaring." Grace returned Ursaring with a small smile. Overall she was still fine…Marcus was strong, but she was still his senior.

"He must be riding off of his momentum from the previous round." Diantha surmised.

"We're only just getting started." Marcus grinned confidently to Grace while returning Staraptor. "This time…I'm going to beat you! Rapidash, let's go!" Marcus' next pokemon was his trusty Rapidash.

"…I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Grace's expression turned serious and she called out her next pokemon: Electivire. The electric-type allowed lightning to spark around its body as it was battle ready. "Electivire, use Thunder!" Electivire plugged both tails into the ground and released a high voltage bolt of lightning that travelled under the surface, lifting up dirt and sharp rock that sealed off the aerial escape route Bounce provided while the ground was unsafe as well!

"She cut him off…" Scott mumbled.

"Megahorn!" With no choice, Marcus and Rapidash had to risk the ground approach since the air was no longer an open. Rapidash galloped along the grass, grimacing as the lightning gave it a powerful shock to its system. Still, it managed to slam its horn into Electvire's chest to send it skidding backwards.

"Cross Chop!" Digging its feet into the ground, Electvire crossed its arms and lunged forward. Upon reaching Rapidash, the electric type uncrossed its arms to deliver a critical hit across the steed's sternum! The impact was so powerful Rapidash was sent tumbling along the ground before coming to a halt.

"Flamethrower!

"Thunder!

Rapidash recovered quickly and opened its mouth, unleashing a stream of flame towards Electvire. In that instant, Electivire threw its arms forward to counter with a powerful bolt of lightning. The two elements clashed in the center of the field and their meeting ended with an explosion and a cloud of smoke that filled the forest.

"Bounce!" With the air now clear, Rapidash had free reign to take off into the air, firmly landing its hooves onto Electivire's head for a rather fierce impact. Leaping backwards, Rapidash stared onward to see the effects of its attack.

"You must be nervous…" Grace spoke knowingly. "You may have slid past Elizabeth last round, but I absolutely cannot allow you to do that here! Electivire, Earthquake!" Electivire raised its leg before slamming it into the ground. This caused the very earth to tremor in the stadium and Rapidash was unable to keep its footing properly! Although it didn't look like it, damage was surely being dealt and it was super effective at that. "Now, Thunder Punch!" With lightning crackling around its limb, Electvire rushed forward and slammed its fist into Rapidash's face for a resounding impact! Rapidash ended up flying backwards before landing on its side in KO.

"Rapidash is unable to battle! Electvire is the winner!" The referee pointed at Grace. With that, the score was now down to 5-5.

"She made quicker work of that Rapidash than I did…" Elizabeth grumbled.

"Thanks, Rapidash…" Marcus returned Rapidash with a smile. "I knew this was going to be anything but easy…so I guess you could say that. Which is why I hope you'll forgive me for this next move." Marcus' next pokemon was that monster of a Rhyperior! Against Electivire, this matchup should have all but been set in stone.

"Oh?" Grace quirked a brow. "I'm almost insulted you think it's about to be that easy right now. Electivire, Earthquake!" Perhaps this was her pride speaking with the way Marcus spoke to her. Now she just had to show him once again why she was the strongest out of their little trio. Stomping on the ground again, Electivire caused yet another quake that tore the ground asunder! Even though the most was technically super effective on Rhyperior, Solid Rock did its job in ensuring the damage was reduced.

"Delicious. Rock Wrecker!" Rhyperior extended its large arm forward, a boulder slowly forming within its palm. Without any warning, this gigantic boulder was launched towards Electivire at devastating speeds!

"Now's our chance! Dodge it and close the distance with Cross Chop!" Electivire deftly leapt to the side, evading the crushing Rock Wrecker and closed the distance rapidly, preparing to strike with a powerful Cross Chop!

With a sly grin, Marcus issued a single command; "Arm Hammer." Rhyperior slowly lifted up its arm. Once Electivire was in range and prepared to attack, it was quickly struck down by the mighty swing of Rhyperior's incredibly heavy arm! The impact was so strong it caused a tremor on its own, and when the arm was removed Electivire was down for the count.

"Electivire is unable to battle! Rhyperior is the winner!" The referee pointed at Marcus. 5-4.

"Rhyperior's amazing!" Bonnie shouted.

"Talk about a great wall…" Takeba leaned over the railing while her Ditto-self continued to cheer.

"Nice job. Take it easy, okay?" Marcus returned Rhyperior. He was pretty fond of keeping everyone at full strength as best he could.

"Return and take some rest, Electivire." Grace moved her mouth about in an uncertain manner. Why did Marcus have to choose now of all times to be at the top of his game? No, that didn't matter right now. He was going to lose at the end of this battle, that's all that mattered. "Wigglytuff, you're up next!" This was a new face for Grace's team. The Wigglytuff presented waved to the crowd before putting on a rather malicious grin. That Wigglytuff had both Marcus and Kasumi sweating pretty fiercely.

"N-Not the Wigglytuff…." Kasumi shuddered. Clearly everyone else was missing something here.

"Is that thing a shadow pokemon…?" Rui tilted her head but did not detect any trace of shadow energy.

"No…" Kasumi shook her head. "It's just really evil…."

"You monster…" Marcus shivered before shaking the nerves off of him. "Mienshao, help me out here!" Marcus' fourth pokemon was his Mienshao, returning once again from the preliminary rounds earlier! "Swift!" Mienshao created several stars before shooting them all forward towards the supposedly devil Wigglytuff.

"Protect!" A protective barrier formed around Wigglytuff's body, completely shielding it from the Swift with no problems. "Play Rough!" Once the barrier dropped, Wigglytuff scurried across the field and leaped at Mienshao. A comical cloud of smoke formed and Wigglytuff just proceeded to beat the crap out of Mienshao with a series of rough slaps.

"Force Palm!" Mienshao had to get its bearings straight immediately. Mienshao placed its palm upon Wigglytuff's chest and a massive burst of energy shot out, sending the pokemon skidding backwards. The added effect of paralysis plagued the pokemon as well, noted by the sparks dancing around its body.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Wigglytuff grumbled before standing back up. Its body began to shine magnificently before multiple beams of light rained down on Mienshao! Due to tis Fairy typing, the move was just as effective as the last!

"High Jump Kick!" Mienshao shook off the Dazzling Gleam as best it could before leaping forward while rearing its leg backwards, preparing to swing at Wigglytuff with all its might!

"Dodge it!" Wigglytuff waited for the last second before pushing its body away and off to the side.

"Off the tree!" Mienshao reacted quickly to Wigglytuff's evasion, landing on the side of the tree before pushing off once again! This time Wigglytuff had nowhere to run and received a powerful kick to its midsection, sending the pink puff tumbling across the ground before coming to a halt on a crouched position.

"Tch…" Grace held a pokeball out to return Wigglytuff. "Come back for now, this isn't your fight…"

"And Grace has made a withdrawal!" The host exclaimed. "She still has 4 pokemon left, which will she substitute in?"

 _"_ _Knowing her…she most definitely has Venusaur around…maybe Salamance too…"_ The benefit to having Grace as a best friend meant that he could predict her choices…but of course it worked both ways; Grace also had the ability to read him like a book should he allow it.

"Pangoro!" Grace revealed her fourth pokemon: Pangoro.

"What's her game…" Marcus was curious as to her decisions so far, but he knew she probably had some sort of a scheme in mind. "No matter, we'll just keep charging in ahead! Swift!" Mienshao waved its paw around, creating an array of stars that it shot towards Pangoro.

"Dark Pulse!" Hands cupped to the sides of the large panda, darkness gathering within its palms. This beam of darkness was shot forward towards the Swift, causing an explosion in the middle of the battle. "Circle Throw!" Pangoro then rushed over to one of the trees, lifting it up off the ground and hurled it at Mienshao.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Acrobatics!" Mienshao darted forward swiftly, nimbly evading the tree that was thrown in its direction before slamming its body into Pangoro for a super effective strike! "And High Jump Kick!" Acting off of its own momentum, Mienshao swiftly slammed its knee into Pangoro's gut.

"Hammer Arm!" That move was being thrown around a lot in this battle. Almost like these two were just going back and forth with it. Pangoro swiftly brought its arm down upon Mienshao's back and crushed it into the ground!

"…My back felt that one…" Takeba grimaced.

"You sure it's not because your front is weighed down?" Lovina replied with a bit of sass.

"Force Palm…!" Mienshao slowly lifted its body up, leaping forward with its palm extended.

"Focus Blast!" Pangoro gathered energy within its fist that took the shape of a yellow sphere. Pangoro thrusted its arm forward as Mienshao did. The two clashed in the center before their energies exploded and both fighting types were thrown back, rendered unable to battle.

"Neither Pangoro nor Mienshao can continue! This is a draw!" With that, the score was 4-3, Marcus' favor. The two trainers returned their pokemon and it was then that the field began to change.

"Grace is now down to three pokemon! This means that the field is going to change from the forest to….the desert plain!" The host explained as the field changed to a large, wide open desert plain similar to the Kalos Badlands.

"Marcus has a strong lead…" Scott commented. "Although two of his pokemon are injured…while Grace only has the paralyzed Wigglytuff and 2 fresh pokemon…"

"….I wonder…" Kasumi mumbled.

"Staraptor, let's go!" Marcus called out Staraptor once again, this bird eagerly waiting to battle.

"Salamance." Grace's fifth pokemon was that dangerous Salamance. This thing made a reputation for itself during the tournament and Marcus had to face this monster once again in the semifinals.

"So, we're getting down to things, huh?" Marcus grinned while issuing the command for the first attack. "Quick Attack!"

"Aerial Ace."

Staraptor flapped its wings and sped towards Salamance with incredible speed! Salamance did the same thing and the two pokemon took to the air, colliding with one another to create a massive explosion and wind current that forced the trainers to shield their eyes. Salamance pursued Staraptor despite its quick, evasive movements.

"Fire Blast!" Salamance gathered flames within its mouth and began blasting large symbols of fire forward at Staraptor within the air!

"Watch out!" Staraptor's eyes widened and it began to evasively maneuver through the series of flames. U-Turns, flips, anything it could do to avoid being scorched to a crisp by Salamance's fire. "Steel Wing!" Staraptor then made a sharp turn, flying headfirst at Salamance to slam its wings into its face! Impact was successful, but whether it was effective or not was a different story.

"Dragon Tail." Salamance quickly recovered from the Steel Wing before gathering green-ish scales along its tail. The dragon ensured the avian wasn't able to go too far before slamming its tail into its back, sending it flying right back down to the ground with vicious force.

"Staraptor…!"

"Fire Blast!" Salamance wasted no time moving from one attack to the next. As soon as Staraptor hit the ground, a large blast of flame was heading in its direction! A fiery explosion occurred on the field, creating a large cloud of smoke in the field. When that smoke cleared….

"Staraptor is unable to battle! Salamance is the victor!" And with that, the score was now 3-3…

"Thank you, Staraptor…" Marcus returned Staraptor with a smile. "You did great. …And now it's your turn. Come out…" It was time for his fifth pokemon. Tossing the capsule into the air, the white light revealed a completely new pokemon: Haxorus! "Haxorus!" Upon being called out, the fully evolved dragon let out a mighty roar that shook the earth!

"Haxorus!?"

"When did Fraxure evolve…!?" Kasumi was also taken aback by this.

"It's so cool!" Bonnie cheered.

"Now we have a showdown here folks! Dragon vs. Dragon! With both sides having only three pokemon remaining, this battle can go either way! Which trainer will come out on top….!?"

"Heh…" Marcus smirked while crossing his arms. "This battle isn't over by a long shot, you know that right?"

"Of course…" Grace nodded slowly. "But I can't let you win this time either. Your momentum stops here."

Marcus and Grace's battle has only continued to escalate. Which of these two rivals will advance onto the next round!? Will Marcus finally surpass Grace, or will Grace's ambitions serve to help her defeat her friend once again!? There's only one way to find out...

Marcus' remaining pokemon: Haxorus, Rhyperior, Gallade.

Grace's remaining pokemon: Salamance, Wigglytuff, Venusaur.

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To be continued….


	51. Chapter 51: Why I Can't Lose

Marcus and Grace are still in the midst of a fierce semifinal battle! Both trainers have been putting up a fierce fight, leaving them both with only 3 pokemon left. For Marcus: Haxorus, Rhyperior, and Gallade are his final three, while Grace still has Venusaur, Wigglytuff, and Salamance remaining. Currently, Haxorus stood against Salamance in the dessert plain field, both dragons staring down one another.

"I didn't think the tension in the air could thicker…." Bonnie mumbled.

"The real fight has only just begun…" Kasumi spoke to the others. "This is there things are do or die…any small mistake from this point on can drastically turn the tide of battle. If either of them slip up now…it's pretty much a guarantee that they won't be able to recover."

"In her case, I hope she doesn't mess up…" Wes kept a sinister chuckle to himself before returning his attention back to the battle.

"Haxorus. Dragon Dance." Marcus commanded. Haxorus roared as a red/black aura flared around its but, sharply increasing its physical attack and speed stats!

"We're down to the big guns…Salamance. Aerial Ace!" Grace threw her hand forward and Salamance attacked. With a roar of its own Salamance flapped its wings and flew forward with its claw covered in a streak of white light!

"Dragon Claw!" Haxorus spread its arms out, draconic scales covering its limbs in the shape of sharp claws. The dragon swung its claw forward in time with Salamance, the two colliding fiercely. It wasn't long before the dragons swung their claws at one another fiercely, sparks flying from each collision until Salamance finally took to the air.

"Can't fly can you!?" Grace grinned as Salamance held its domain in the air.

"Don't need to! Incinerate!" Haxorus reared its head back, streams of flame appearing around its mouth before pointing its head forward, unleashing several orbs of fire in rapid succession towards the airborne Salamance!

"Dodge it!" Salamance began to maneuver around the air as best it could, evading the explosive spheres of flame. The sky was alight with a chain of explosions, all of which were evaded by Salamance. "Fire Blast!" Salamance pointed its head down, unleashing a gigantic symbol of flame down towards the field and Haxorus.

"Guillotine!" Haxorus' pincers shone brightly and expanded. With a mighty swing, Haxorus' sharpened pinchers easily sliced through the Fire Blast, rendering it to nothing.

"Dragon Rush!" Cloaking its body in multicolored energy, Salamance dove down and slammed its body into Haxorus. The impact was strong and Haxorus was sent staggering backwards from the powerful strike.

"Dragon Claw!" Haxorus recovered almost instantaneously from the Dragon Rush. Another claw formed along its right arm and it raked said claw against Salamance's back to crush it into the ground!

"Oooh! And a powerful hit from Haxorus has left Salamance reeling!" The host exclaimed.

"Go go Grace! Go go Marcus!" Takeba cheered while waving her pompoms around with a bright smile.

"I thought you were only cheering for one of them?" Elizabeth side eyed the pinkette.

"I like them both." Takeba responded with a shrug.

"Dragon Tail!" Salamance recovered and slammed its tail into Haxorus' chest, sending the dragon stumbling backwards with a growl of pain. "Fire Blast!"

"Incinerate!"

Both Salamance and Haxorus gather fire within their mouths. Salamance unleashed a gigantic symbol of flame once again, while Haxorus let loose multiple spheres of flame; these two attacks collided dead center in the middle of the battlefield, resulting in a massive explosion that created a pitch black cloud of smoke in the field. Everyone remained silent as the smoke cleared and both dragons were still standing; neither refusing to yield to the other.

"So this is a dual between dragons…" Serena whispered. For some reason she was unable to raise her voice any higher during a battle like this.

"Prideful creatures, they are…" Scott commented. "If either of the trainers tried to switch now, I imagine both dragons would be very cross with them."

"We're finishing this now! Dragon Rush!" Salamance allowed multicolored energy to flare around its body once more. With a simple flap of its wings, it dove towards Haxorus at maximum velocity.

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Marcus threw his arm forward. "Guillotine!" Haxorus' pincers shone brightly before sharpening to incredible heights. The dragon then began to stampede forward, speed boosted greatly by the Dragon Dance prior. Both dragons were rushing at one another full throttle and this was no game of Torhic; they were going to see this through. The two pokemon clashed and a gigantic explosion occurred from their raw power! Gray smoke filled the battlefield and when it dissipated, both Haxorus and Salamance were standing back to back, neither of them moving an inch. All remained silent as everyone waited to see which dragon would fall. Haxorus faltered for a second before falling to a knee…but Salamance was the one that fell over with swirls in its eyes.

"Salamance is unable to battle! Haxorus is the winner!" The referee pointed at Marcus and Salamance's imaged grayed out on the screen. Now the score was 2-3 in Marcus' favor.

"He took out Salamance…!" Ash stared in amazement. Haxorus was really strong and the thought of fighting that pokemon excited him down to the very core!

"…Is he gonna win this time...?" Kasumi was really into this. Taking down Grace's Salamance was never a small feat. Thus far, only Venus and Marcus were the only ones took down Salamance in the tournament and everyone knew how much of a threat that pokemon was.

"…Thank you, Salamance." Grace returned Salamance with a smile. Although on the outside she looked calm…on the inside she was having a bit of a panic attack. Marcus had never been so on point before…normally she'd be happy to witness such progress, but the Time Flute for Kasumi's health was on the line here. If she couldn't beat Marcus then Kasumi would….

"How's that?" Marcus grinned at Grace. This was the first time he was able to keep a steady lead over Grace, but even he knew not to keep his guard down against this monster of a pokemon trainer.

"…Very good." Grace admitted with a nod. "You've improved during this tournament and it's surprising. But I absolutely cannot let you win this battle, Marcus." Grace spoke while calling forth Wigglytuff into battle once again.

"You keep saying that…" Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Don't you get why I've been working so hard!? You of all people should know why…but why are you acting like this?"

"…I can't tell you." Grace shook her head. "But just know I'll be wining this battle, just like all the others. Wigglytuff, Rest." Wigglytuff closed its eyes and began to rest up. The damage from Mienshao and the paralysis began to fade away instantaneously.

"As much as I don't trust this, it's like she's asking for it. Guillotine!" Haxorus began to charge forward once again with sharpened pincers, preparing to take out Wigglytuff in one shot as its second headcount!

"Protect." It was a strange thing what happened next. Even though Early Bird was definitely NOT its ability, nor having Sleep Talk, Wigglytuff just…woke up quickly and a protective barrier formed around its body, completely repelling Haxorus away!

"Oh come on…" Marcus knew he should've seen that coming…but there was naught to do but continue pressing forward with the momentum he had after beating Salamance. "Incinerate!"

"Play Rough!" As Haxorus unleashed its pyre against Wigglytuff, the surprisingly deft pokemon leapt to the side, evading the Incinerate while closing the distance between the two of them. Once Haxorus was reached, a comical cloud of smoke appeared and Wigglytuff started slapping the crap out of Haxorus before fishing off with a shoulder tackle. The mighty Haxorus was sent staggering by a Wigglytuff not even half its size! Fairy types were really something else.

"Guillotine!" After recovering from the Play Rough, Haxorus snarled before trying to end Wigglytuff's battle carrier right then and there with the dangerous One Hit KO move!

"Dazzling Gleam!" Wigglytuff's body gave off a magnificent shine before it unleashed several rays of rainbow light down onto Haxorus! There was no way for Haxorus to reach Wigglytuff in time as it was bombarded by light! When the light faded, Haxorus was down for the count.

"Haxorus is unable to battle! Wigglytuff is the winner!" The referee pointed to Grace and Wigglytuff and Haxorus' image grayed out. The score was now 2-2, and while Grace still had yet to reveal her final pokemon, it was safe for everyone to assume what it was. The same could be said for Marcus at this point.

"They're even again…" Clemont was excited just watching this battle.

"Man, neither one of them are letting up…" Rui whispered.

Marcus returned Haxorus, staring at the scoreboard for a brief moment. "Thanks…you did something big today and you deserve a long rest. Okay Rhyperior, give us the break we need!" Marcus called Rhyperior back to the battlefield, the rock type letting out a battle cry.

"You're not getting any further than this!" Grace exclaimed. "Play Rough!" Wigglytuff grinned menacingly before darting forward once again!

"You're not getting any closer than that! Flamethrower!" In a surprising turn of events, Rhyperior released a long range move! From its mouth, a powerful stream of flame was unleashed, catching Wigglytuff off guard and forced it to hold its positions against the fierce flames!

"Dazzling Gleam!" Wigglytuff's body once again released a countless rays of light from the flames. These rays landed on Rhyperior, eventually forcing it to halt its assault to shield itself. Even with its defenses, the damage from earlier could still be considered damage. "Now Play Rough once more!"

"Intercept with Thunder Punch!" As Wigglytuff neared, lightning began to crackle on Rhyperior's fists! The instant the Fairy type attempted to lunge at Rhyperior, it was met with the resounding SMASH of thunder meeting with its face! Wigglytuff was thrown backwards across the entirety of the arena and landed on its back, reeling from that powerful attack. "Rock Wrecker!" Rhyperior conjured a massive boulder within its hands and simply shot it forward at a violent velocity. This boulder was far too fast to react to and slammed into Wigglytuff for a large explosion! Pieces of rock scattered everywhere as Wigglytuff just fell to the ground in KO.

"Wigglytuff is unable to battle! Rhyperior is the winner!" And with that said…the score was now 2-1, Marcus' favor. The crowd was in utter silence, because even though Marcus' numbers looked better, it was still far too early to call this match over.

"Is he gonna win?" Takeba blinked several times.

"It's getting really close…" Kasumi was practically shivering. "All he has to do is beat Venusaur…but that's easier said than done. Neither of us have done it…and you saw his last attempt…and the only pokemon that beat it in the tournament was that Suicune Venus had…I wonder what happened to that…"

"…" Grace silently returned Wigglytuff. If only she was able to tell Marcus what was at stake if she won here. Then perhaps he'd let up and just lose like he always did…but something was different about him today and she noticed it during the course of their battle. There was a fire in his eyes as he stood against her. Some strange determination was pushing him forward to actually have the lead against her in a battle! But…she still couldn't let him win even in this situation. "I'm proud of you for becoming so strong…but like I said…I just can't let you win this one." Grace called forth her final pokemon: Venusaur. No surprise there, it was practically the biggest threat of the tournament since the very beginning, only having been defeated by Venus' incredibly aggressive and manipulative abilities.

"Why do you keep saying that?!" Marcus questioned. "What's so serious about this battle in particular that you can't afford to lose!? Don't you get why I've been working so hard? It was for this moment, you know…"

"…I wish I could tell you." Grace sighed heavily while shaking her head. "But this is mine alone to bear…any battle we have after this you can win I'm sure. But not now…I can't afford to lose again! Not to you, not to Kasumi, or even Ash! This has to be me!"

"…..You idiot." Marcus groaned while shaking his head.

"Venusaur, Solar Beam!" Venusuar began gathering light energy from the sun above. It wasn't long before a large widespread beam was sent in Rhyperior's direction, cutting across the battlefield at rapid speeds!

"Flamethrower!" Rhyperior parted its mouth open once again to release a gigantic blaze! This stream of fire collided with the Solar Beam, creating an explosion in the middle of the field. "Rock Wrecker!" Rhyperior conjured another boulder within its large arms and shot this one forward like a meteor!

"Cut!" Venusaur's claws sharpened and it brought them up, swiftly bringing them down into the incoming Rock Wrecker, shredding the boulder into pebbles with minimal effort!

"No way!" Marcus grit his teeth. It was about this time that he actually remembered who and what he was dealing with here. That insurmountable mountain that always stood in his way…

"Petal Blizzard!" Venusaur let out a roar as a vortex of sharp petals formed around its being. This pink petal twister was then sent in Rhyperior's direction, pinning it down in its location as the damage began to rack up quickly!

"We've no choice! Close the gap with Thunder Punch!" Rhyperior nodded in response to its trainers command, allowing lightning to crackle around both arms this time. The beast then began to move forward, closing the gap between the two of them as fast as it could.

"Frenzy Plant!" Venusuar bellowed out before stomping on the ground with its front legs. This caused the ground to tremble violently before large plants sprouted from the ground in all directions! Rhyperior was far too slow and large a target to avoid the entanglement of these vines. The large roots trapped Rhyperior and slammed it down into the ground where it was defeated.

"Rhyperior is unable to battle! Venusaur is the winner!" And with that…the score was now 1-1.

"That Venusaur is exceptionally powerful…" Diantha made her comment to Sycamore, who nodded in agreement. "I wonder…now that something so threatening as Venus and her mysteriously obtained Suicune are out of the way…is there anything that can stand up to a monster between the 3 trainers left?"

"Rhyperior…thanks." Marcus returned Rhyperior. "You're finally up…Gallade! Let's go!" And it was now time for Marcus' last pokemon: Gallade. "So…this is it. One of us is coming out on top of this battle starting right here…are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Grace nodded. "And you will not make it past me…"

"And here we are…! Both trainers are now down to their last pokemon! Which one will come out on top! Venusaur, or Gallade!?" Malva spoke to the masses watching from home.

"I can't wait to nab both of them…" Jessie said while rubbing her hands together with that mischievous grin on her lips.

"It's a Pokémon picking party…!" Meowth snickered.

"Venusaur, Solar Beam!" Venusaur planted its feet firmly on the ground while pointing its bulb forward. After gathering solar energy, all of that pent of energy was released in a widespread beam!

"Psycho Cut!" Gallade gathered kinetic energy along its bladed arms. In two swift vertical slashes, two crescent blades were sent to clash with the Solar Beam. Neither attacked gained the advantage over the other and both ended up exploding dead center. "Night Slash!" Gallade's arms ended up having a violet tint to them as it sprinted forward.

"Cut!" The sharp leaves under its bulb, Venusaur actually began to counter Gallade's precise movements! The leaves were surprisingly successful in parrying Gallade's slashes, much to the annoying of trainer and pokemon alike! Seeing there was no merit in continuing the assault Gallade jumped back, but Grace wasn't about to let it get off for free. "Petal Blizzard!" A twister of pick petals caught Gallade before it could escape. While it didn't interrupt its backtracking too much, damage this late in the game was still damage!

"Shadow Sneak!" Gallade dipped into the shadows as the petals scattered everywhere. It soon emerged from Venusaur's shadow! By the time Venusaur noticed, it received a swift roundhouse kick to the face to send it stumbling forward. "Psycho Cut!" And a swift slash of its kinetically imbued blade served to finish off the combo! Venusaur actually staggered for only a fraction of a second before regaining its footing! _"Are we making a dent in this thing…?"_

"Are we done playing games?" Grace questioned. "There's no point in testing the waters here. You got it?"

"Mhm…you're right." Marcus nodded while pulling his sleeve back to reveal his Key Stone. "We've come this far…and maybe with this we'll be able to show you just why we've been fighting so hard. Until this battle is over, I'm not going to spell it out for you. So…Gallade! Respond to my heart and surpass evolution! Mega Evolve!" A bright white light shone from the Key Stone and Mega Stone on Gallade's cape; these lights connected together and Gallade underwent a strange metamorphosis. Its blades sharpened, the cape became a part of its body, and it gave off a more regal aura! Mega Gallade once here was again. A single swipe of its blade sliced through the tension in the air. "I don't care what your reasons are…we're gonna beat ours into you if we have to!"

"I wish you knew what was at stake…" Grace sighed and shook her head before fiddling with her necklace. "There is a reason why I must be the winner of this tournament! You won't stop me! Venusaur, let's do this!" Venusaur and Grace's hearts became one in a sense as the Mega Evolution process started. Venusuar's body grew larger and its petals bigger! The Mega Evolution process completed within seconds and Mega Venusaur entered the fray, letting out a resounding roar that briefly shook the field.

"And here it is! A Mega Evolution showdown! Mega Vensaur vs. Mega Gallade! It's the final round of this battle! Which trainer will come out on top!?" The host looked between both of them in excitement. Marcus and Grace stared each other down and for a moment it felt like nobody in the audience could breathe! The aura radiating from these two trainers was just that powerful!

"Gallade! Psycho Cut!" Gallade drew its arms back before slicing them in a horizontal motion. This caused to large crescent slashes of kinetic energy to fly at Venusuar at high speeds!

"Cut!" Venusaur's claws shone brightly and it stood on its hind legs to give it the position it needed to cleave through the incoming Psycho Cut! The blades exploded behind Venusuar, leaving it unharmed from the assault. "Petal Blizzard!" Venusaur bellowed out as a larger tornado of petals formed around its body. This large twister then soared towards Gallade at high speeds, lifting it off the ground to carry it into the air!

"Slice it!" With its incredibly sharp blades, Gallade easily sliced through the Petal Blizzard while it was in the air.

There was no better time to attack than while Gallade was vulnerable in the air. "Frenzy Plant!" Venusaur stomped on the ground once again, uprooting gigantic plants that rose from the ground. These enlarged vines began to swarm Gallade while it was in midair, aiming to constrict and crush the knight right then and there before it could gain any offensive momentum.

"You're not getting me what that again! Night Slash!" Gallade's blades shone a violet tint and upon the first root that reached it, it sliced it so easily you'd think it was butter! Landing on another root, Gallade proceeded to do some weed whacking, cutting down any root that stood in its way. Once it finally got down to the ground, it was time to assault! "Close Combat!" Pushing off its leg, Gallade closed the gap faster than Grace or Venusaur could react to. A solid punch landed against Venusaur's face, followed by a series of high speed kicks. The finisher to the combo was a roundhouse kick that sent the grass type skidding backwards.

"Solar Beam!" While they were close there was no better time than the present to attack. Venusaur was already gathering solar energy while Gallade assaulted it, so the time between the command and the actual attack was instantaneous. A point blank beam of light shot forth and Gallade only just managed to block the hit to mitigate some of the damage, but was eventually sent flying backwards before landing on its feet.

"Night Slash

"Cut!"

Gallade pushed forward once again towards the monster that was Venusuar, an unwavering fire in its eyes. With its violet tinted blades, Gallade aimed several fierce slashes at the Mega Pokémon before it. Venusuar also countered with its own claws. While it was not as swift as Gallade in terms of movement, it was faster than most people would expect! Gallade aimed a leaping downward slash at Venusaur, but it swiftly moved backwards and Gallade aimed a horiztonal slice, which was evaded with a leap to the side!

"Shadow Sneak!" Gallade avoided a slash from Venusaur before fading into the shadows, reappearing behind Venusuar once again for a solid kick! Venusaur didn't flinch this time, which left Marcus briefly surprised.

"Petal Blizzard!" This time, the raging twister was focused solely around Venusaur since Gallade was so close. This blizzard lifted Gallade off the ground once again and tossed it high into the air due to the power that was focused within it. "Now, Solar Beam nonstop!" Venusaur took aim at the airborne Gallade and began to release smaller Solar Beams. They may have been smaller, but the truth was it saved on solar power and they were still just as powerful and something to worry about in their positon.

"Psycho Cut!" Gallade recovered in the air, sending off several kinetic blades at the incoming Solar Beams. While it was able to match some of the beams, a stray one ended up hitting its mark! An explosion occurred and Gallade started to fall from the air with a trail of smoke behind it. They were in a bad position now… "We're not done yet!"

"You're not getting the chance to recover! Frenzy Plant!" Once again Venusaur's earth shaking stomp caused large plants to rise up from the ground. These plants took over the entirety of the arena and tried to swarm Gallade and crush it once and for all!

"Night Slash!" Gallade landed on one of the vines, dashing forward while cutting through the ones that tried to strike it. Gallade was desperately trying to make it back down to the ground, but was having an extremely difficult time as the vines seemed to only grow in numbers and it wasn't going to be able to hold out forever!

"They're being zoned out…!" Takeba gasped. "If they can't get close to Venusaur, then it's over…!"

"How is that pokemon so strong…" Kayla questioned.

Now even Kasumi was beginning to have doubts. Marcus and Gallade were unable to get close to Venusaur, and at this rate things would end in another loss for them. "…Is he going to lose again…? She's so fierce just as always…I don't know if he'll be able to overcome this now…"

"Is this the end…?" Lore asked. Gallade was doing a good job dodging, but it couldn't last forever…

"I wouldn't be too sure about that…" Cynthia voiced her opinion from…well, a seat like right next to Elizabeth.

"WHOA…!?" Elizabeth jumped while bringing her attention to Cynthia. "W-When did you…how long?!"

"I'm fine. No one's been able to look away from this fight so I've been able to come in easily…but that's not the point here. I've been watching this battle and now I see why Marcus challenged me. He's the type to feel inferior when surrounded by strong people…all of you are skilled trainers with their own strengths. With everything I know, I can say the reason he's been fighting so hard is to prove something to Grace."

"Prove something…?" Kasumi tilted her head. She didn't quite understand it…

"Grace is your senior, yes? She also has the tendency to things on her own, even though you are her friends. Someone with a large feeling of responsibility needs to know she can count on her friends…so the power that he's been looking for is something to prove to her that she can count on you both. Something akin to the power to protect your friends, this is something she already has…"

Speak of the devil, since Gallade was able to get back down to the ground…but as soon as it did, several roots sprouted up and wrapped around its body, completely constricting all movement!

"Oh no…!" Serena gasped. "They got caught…!"

"…The power to protect…?" Kasumi mumbled. She knew why Grace was fighting and she couldn't tell her not to worry. At this rate…Marcus' efforts to make Grace understand were about to go down the drain and fade away into nothingness. "But now…he's caught…!"

"I wouldn't be worried…" Cynthia smiled. "Even in the face of adversity, he's going to remain strong and push forward."

"Time to finish this….Solar Beam!" Venusaur didn't waste any time. Once it gathered the largest amount of solar energy thus far, a powerful beam was shot in Gallade's direction! This beam looked like it could finish this battle in one shot if it did hit! "I'm sorry, but this is the way it has to be…I have to win…"

Marcus clenched his hand into a fist as the Solar Beam neared. He wasn't going to allow this to be the end of him. He said he was going to make her understand and he would! "This isn't over yet. Not until you understand why we're fighting so hard! I'm your friend, so you should be able to count on me too! Gallade!" Gallade's eyes snapped open and in a flash, the roots constricting its body were sliced into nothing! Roots flew everywhere and Gallade took to the sky, avoiding the would-be finisher.

"Wha?!" Grace's eyes widened as Gallade escaped Frenzy Plant.

"LET'S GO!" Gallade's blades shone brightly in a rainbow hue with kinetic energy, expanding just as they did before against Elizabeth and Cynthia prior. Gallade used the broken roots to ascend higher into the air while raising its arms above its head. "This is the strength we've been fighting so hard for! Grace! Now take this and understand! Everything we've got! Gallade; Psycho Cut!" When Gallade lifted its arms over its head, the two blades formed into one gigantic sword that resembled only the finest of blades. This blade was larger than Gallade's own body, yet represented the unyielding will both trainer and pokemon carried together.

"….!? N-No! We can't lose! WE WON'T!" Grace was almost speechless at the power, but she was not going to yield yet! She couldn't! "VENUSAUR! SOLAR BEAM FULL POWER!" Venusaur let out a roar as it unleashed one final, incredibly large beam of solar energy towards the airborne Gallade. In that moment, Gallade brought down its gigantic blade! The two collided for once giant explosion that shook the very foundation of the stadium! The wind pressure kicked up made everyone shield their eyes, and after that everything fell into complete silence.

"…."

"…."

"…."

As the smoke began to clear, there was one figured lying on their side. That was…

"Venusuar is unable to battle! Therefore, Marcus is the winner and advances to the finals!" With that said, Marcus' name appeared on the big screen as the victor!

"HE WON!" Kasumi grabbed Lovrina and began to bounce up and down jovially. She knew why Grace was fighting so hard…and even though she couldn't bring herself to tell her to stop for more than one reason…she was glad Marcus won. Because made she'd understand now…

"H-Hey! Let me go…!" Lovrina squirmed.

"That was AWESOME!" Ash grinned.

"GO GO MARCUS! GO GO MARCUS!" Takeba was really shaking it now…more so than usual, which was a little odd all things considered. But none of the males were complaining.

"…She knows what she's doing, right?" Cynthia questioned the others.

"One can only wonder…" Scott chuckled while shaking his head.

"AMAZING! IN A LAST SECOND TURN AROUND, MARCUS HAS BEATEN GRACE!" The host shouted and the crowd cheered!

"What a marvelous battle!" Sycamore smiled widely; a clash like that was something to be remembered for a long time now.

"Yes…" Diantha nodded. "Both trainers performed exceptionally well…that battle was truly a beautiful spectacle. These trainers are all powerful…I can't wait to see what the next match has to bring for us."

"….Ah…." Grace was in a mixture of shock, sadness, and happiness. She finally lost to Marcus; even though she wasn't exactly herself…a loss was still a loss, and she once again lost her immediate chance for a Time Flute. "…I lost…."

Marcus walked over to Grace and frowned, since it didn't look like Grace was in the mood to smile. "Hey, you dork. You get it yet?"

"Wha…?" Grace tilted her head. "You beat me for once…that's like what, 20-1?"

"Not that…!" Although Marcus couldn't help but grin since he finally made it on the board. "We're friends. I don't know what's got you so hung up lately…but we'll find a way through it together. Me, you, and Kasumi. We're all a unit…and we'll find a way to make her better, okay? You don't need to shoulder the burden all by yourself…all you've done is that, but maybe now you can learn to rely on me and her a little bit more. I may have gotten you once…but I don't know if I can do it again. That was just everything I wanted to show you we've accomplished over the course of this tournament." Marcus then held his hand out for handshake. "Let's do this again sometime, yeah?"

Grace stared. She was so focused on helping Kasumi that she admittedly neglected her other friend. She didn't even notice that he caught up to her and even surpassed her for a battle. "…I'm still your senior. So don't think you'll be able to pull another one on me again." Smiling, she took Marcus' hand for a firm shake. "But yeah…maybe…we can do this together. All of us…I guess I do need to relax a little bit…but now that you've beaten me, you BETTER win this whole thing, got it? The tournament has a new threat now…" Grace giggled. Although there was a bitter pill of self-resentment for losing…she felt that maybe there was hope to help Kasumi with or without her secret aid with Chiper.

Ash then turned to Kasumi, a competitive grin on his face. "You ready, Kausmi? We can't let them show us up! And we'll be finishing that battle we had before all this started!

"Huh? O-Oh, yeah…!" Kasumi nodded with a halfhearted smile. In the excitement she almost forgot she had to battle! More importantly…for everyone's safety, she remembered that she had to win, too….

"…" Wes closed his eyes and merely shook his head. He could tell by the look on Grace's face that she was getting hopeful. He wasn't one to crush hopes, but her loss made things all the more interesting. Lovrina took a glance at Wes and he merely nodded. Things still weren't as they seemed…evil still plotted right under everyone's noses.

.

.

Next Time: Rematch On The Big Stage!


	52. Chapter 52: Rematch On the Big Stage!

"Welcome back, you two!" Serena clasped her hands together as Marcus and Grace returned to the stands. "You had an amazing battle! How are you both feeling!?"

"Tired." Grace said while plopping right into her seat. "I know I'm a senior trainer, but I shouldn't be feeling like an actual senior…."

"CONGRATS! Victory hug time!" Takeba lunged at Marcus to pull him into a victory hug. It all happened so quickly nobody realized what happened until he was being crushed by that woman's chest. Normally there was no reason to complain about this but Takeba was a little forceful and may have been smothering her.

"Breathing….insufficient…." Marcus gasped as Takeba released him into his seat. "….There was a good and bad side to that…"

"It was a fantastic battle between you two. You both should be proud." Cynthia offered her insight and it was then that Marcus and Grace realized she was there! "I believe it's safe to assume whatever message needed to be sent was properly delivered?"

"Mhm…" Grace nodded. "I got it…ah…I wish I passed Kasumi to wish her luck in the battle."

"They left to get ready as soon as you two were done." Clemont explained. "They're really eager to pick up where they left off before everything started. I can tell that this battle is going to be a good one."

"I'm not sure who I should cheer for…" Takeba tilted her head curiously before glancing at her Ditto!self. "What do you think?"

"Hmmmm…." Takeba's Ditto had no ideas, and frankly it was getting a little absurd to see two identical airheads stumped for ideas.

"Okay, moving on…." Elizabeth waved her hand to dismiss the awkward tension in the air. "I don't want to see either of them strain their brains, it's already painful enough watching her try to think…"

"HEY!" Takeba huffed. It wasn't exactly like she could refute it, though…. "…Where'd Wes and Lovrina go?" The topic was quickly shifted off her and she asked Rui, who was sitting alone for the time being."

"They said they were going to grab some snacks real quick…" Rui began to fiddle with the sleeves of her jacket. "But what if they're really going off for some escapade…!? Agh! I knew I should've gone with them! But no, Wes said it would be fine…!"

"…You're right not to trust him." Elizabeth shrugged, speaking from resentment and bitterness.

"It is curious…you hardly see those two together in our little motley crew…" Scott shrugged. "But I suppose it won't do well to think much of it. The next battle is soon to start."

"Hmm…." Kayla couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.

.

"Boss…" Lovrina spoke to Wes once they were in private. There was a concern weighing heavily on her mind that she wanted to discuss. "It's about Kasumi…I had some questions regarding her…and that little wager you've placed her under."

"Hm?" Wes leaned against a wall. "XD-002, is it? What is you want to know…although you should technically know everything – even more than I do about her and her condition."

"Yes, that's exactly why I have to ask. You really didn't mean what you told her did you? About wiping everyone out if she failed to win?" Lovrina was serious about this.

"…Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." Wes responded with a frown at Lovrina's line of questioning. "Why are you displaying so much concern over your own experiment? You were the one who had this idea in mind to begin with. Don't tell me you actually care for that band of idiots?"

To that, Lovrina began to bite her lower lip nervously. For a moment she almost forgot who it was she was talking to. "O-Of course not…but…that girl is dying. Venus should have a larger punishment for almost taking out our work! And that girl is still young! Do you have any idea what condition her body is in right now!? If she were to have another outbreak…!"

"Why do you think I fed her that information?" Wes responded with a sly grin. His true colors were beginning to show. "It's a little…motivation, in the event things start to go poorly for her. Venus will be dealt with at a later date…but her selfish desire has granted an opportunity and a hypothesis." Wes then started to walk off and waved his hand. "Remember your place in this plan, and remember hers as well."

As Wes walked off, Lovrina's gaze went to the ground. "…She's not just an experiment anymore…she's a person…"

.

Ash and Kasumi stood on opposite ends of the arena. The field slowly rose up to the rocky mountain field with a stream cutting from the top of a small cliff base down through the middle of the field. The host cleared his throat before saying; "And this is the last semifinal battle! This battle will decide the fate of the finalist and bring this tournament to a close! Oh, it's so exciting! I can't wait to see who's going to win!"

"He sure likes to talk a lot…" Kasumi rubbed the back of her head. "But then again, it's his job. So Ash…you ready?"

"More than ready." Ash nodded while tossing a pokeball into the air. "Hawlucha, I choose you!" The capsule opened up, the bright light revealing Hawlucha, who flexed upon being called out.

"And Ash has decided to lead with Hawlucha!" When the host said this, Hawlucha appeared in the first slot of Ash's team.

"Blissey, on stage!" Kasumi was relying on her old partner for this one! Once Blissey was called out, she flexed her stubby arms to the crowd.

"Blissey vs. Hawlucha. Hawlucha has the advantage in movement and typing…but when has that ever produced a concrete result?" Scott scoffed with an amused grin on his lips. "This will be an interesting bout…"

The referee pointed his hand into the air. "This is a full 6 on 6 battle! Once either side has reached three pokemon, the field will change. Ash has the first move!"

"All right! Hawlucha, X-Scissor!" Hawlucha nodded and sprinted forward! The Luchador was swift, leaping from rock to rock to close in the distance between itself and Blissey.

"They've got the speed advantage…but not for long! Thunder Wave!" Blissey watched Hawlucha's movements carefully. When it had a lock, it fired off a paralytic beam of electricity in Hawlucha's direction.

"Off the rock and use High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha quickly shifted directions, leaping onto the rock to avoid the Thunder Wave. The nimble luchador then sprung off the rock with its leg reared back, slamming it right into Blissey's face for a powerful direct hit! Blissey was thrown off its feet and into a nearby rock.

"Oooh, that one had to hurt…" Bonnie remarked.

Blissey stood up, groaning in pain. At least it was okay and that meant it could keep fighting. "Okay, Egg Bomb!" Blissey pulled the egg from its pouch and chucked it at Hawlucha. Hawlucha attempted to dodge, and while it did avoid the direct hit, the radius of the explosion was much larger than anyone anticipated! Hawlucha was thrown backwards and landed in the middle of the stream. "Are you okay!?" Ash asked with worry.

"Don't let up! Use Ice Beam!" Blizzard released an electrical beam of ice directly for Hawlucha while it was down! Unfortunately for Kasumi and Blissey, Hawlucha managed to recover just in time, so the Ice Beam struck and froze over the lake. Hawlucha landed, slipping before regaining its balance.

"We're not out just yet. Karate Chop once again!" Now that Hawlucha regained its balance, it leapt off the ice and began to assault Blissey with a series of swift jobs! All Blissey could do was bring up its arms to try and defend itself, but its body was far too round to aptly defend itself and it was just on the receiving end of a pummeling. "High Jump Kick!" And a swift knee was brought to Blissey's face, sending it skidding backwards.

"That is a tough Blissey…" Marcus remarked.

"Let's finish this! Flying Press!" Hawlucha nodded, leaping to the top of the highest rock and then jumped off! With a stylish spin, Hawlucha aimed to crush its body against Blissey's for the KO!

At least…that was the plan. But in reality, this was the moment Kasumi was waiting for! "Now, Seismic Toss!" Just before Hawlucha slammed against Blissey, Blissey caught Hawlucha! The crowd was stunned as a beautiful spin was delivered. Blissey used all of Hawlucha's momentum against it and hurled it into a rock!

"Ah…!" Even Ash was stunned at what just occurred.

"She must've been waiting for Ash to deliver a finishing blow…so she could use that momentum against Hawlucha to put herself in the advantageous situation." Diantha surmised.

"Thunder Wave!" Now that Hawlucha was stunned from the impact, Blissey could follow up. Another paralytic wave of lightning was unleashed and this one hit its mark, pushing Hawlucha through the rock and left it on the ground paralyzed.

"Hawlucha, get up and use X-Scissor!" Hawlucha did manage to push itself up slowly. The paralysis did slow down its movements considerably, which left it open to attack.

"Finish it with Ice Beam!" Blissey fired off yet another ice beam. This one was a direct hit and sent Hawlucha soaring until it landed on its back with swirls in its eyes.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle! Blissey is the winner!" The referee pointed at Kasumi and Blissey and Hawlucha's imaged grayed out on the big screen.

"She played him pretty good there." Takeba was doing that thing where she wanted to sound smart again. "She made it look like Blissey was on the losing end, but really she was waiting for Ash to try and finish things to set it up in her favor!"

"We got that…" Lore hated to break the news to her.

Takeba practically sank at the news. She was never allowed to prosper, it seemed. At the very least, Cynthia got a slight chuckle out of it. "Don't worry, Takeba. You're never really someone's friend until they shoot down your ideas in such a manner."

"Thanks, Hawlucha." Ash returned Hawlucha with a smile. His gaze then turned to his day one partner: Pikachu. "You ready?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded before hopping onto the field, sparks dancing from its red cheeks. Pikachu's image appeared in the second pokeball slot in Ash's side.

"And Ash has decided to go with Pikachu!" The host exclaimed.

"It's Pikachu…" James mumbled.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu began to sprint forward across the mountainous field faster than the blink of an eye! The mouse moved in a zig-zag pattern to keep its movements from being too predictable.

"Ice Beam!" Instead of waiting for Pikachu to land, Kasumi was just going to make it harder for it to move! Soon, ice was scattered about the field, making Pikachu's dash turn into a slippery sprint. "Now, Egg Bomb while its open!" Blissey then began to fire off rapid Egg Bombs! Each egg was just as destructive as the last, causing widespread explosions wherever they landed! Pikachu was blown away by several explosions, although nothing was truly a direct hit on the small mouse.

Ash already had a plan though. His goal wasn't to actually attack Blissey with Quick Attack; he just wanted to get close to the frozen stream in the center. "Iron Tail on the water!" Pikachu jumped into the air as its tail shone brightly. The mouse then slammed its tail into the icy water, breaking apart the ice into massive chunks. The angle of impact caused the chunks of ice to fly at Blissey!

"Whoa whoa…!" Kasumi didn't have any way to defend against this! Blissey was smacked by several large chunks of ice, staggering backwards from the damage. "Are you okay!?"

"You won't be for long!" Ash commented as he continued to push on the offensive momentum. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu used the remaining chunks of ice to push itself high into the air, where it began to gather a large abundance of electricity within its body. With a loud cry, Pikachu unleashed a singular, powerful bolt of lightning at Blissey who had no defense for it! A direct hit was landed and Blissey collapsed on the spot with swirls in its eyes.

"Blissey is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" The referee pointed at Ash and Blissey's image grayed out on the screen.

"Pikachu won!" Serena clasped her hands together. "Go Ash!"

"All right Pikachu, come back for now." Ash nodded while Pikachu went back for a substitution.

"Thank you, Blissey…" Kasumi returned Blissey with an honest smile. "Galvantula, it's your turn!" Kasumi's second pokemon of choice was Galvantula, who appeared in her second slot.

"Talonflame, I choose you!" Ash's third pokemon was Talonflame! The fiery bird stayed in the air, looking down at its opponent while appearing in his third slot.

"Trying to keep the advantage…I don't blame you…but this can go either way!" Kasumi exclaimed. "Thunder!" Galvantula gathered a large amount of electricity within its body before unleashing a solid bolt in Talonflame's direction.

"Dodge it and use Aerial Ace!" Talonflame took into the sky, avoiding the Thunder by a large margin. Of course it didn't end there and the avian was assaulted by bolts of lightning. Talonflame was swift in the air so it was able to avoid the lightning strikes, diving down to slam its wings into Galvantula, forcing it to slide back.

"Tch…" Kasumi grit her teeth. There was no way they'd be able to hit an aerial opponent like Talonflame…but she wasn't one to give up yet. She realized by watching Ash battle, there was always a way around a disadvantage.

"Aerial Ace once more!" Ash commanded. Talonflame obliged and dove at Galvantula once more.

"…." Kasumi didn't utter a single word. Instead she waited for the right moment. "Sucker Punch!" There it was! Just before Talonflame was able to hit its mark, Galvaltula suddenly sped forward, striking Talonflame with a dirty, underhanded strike. The impact caught the bird off guard and it ended up tumbling along the rock ground.

"A surprising Sucker Punch knocks the wind out of Talonflame!" Said the Host.

"Talonflame! Get up…!" Talonflame was trying. The Sucker Punch really caught it off guard, and it was slowly beginning to flap its wings once again.

"Don't let it get away! Electro Ball!" With Talonflame still recovering now was the perfect opportunity to strike. Galvantula gathered lightning in the shape of a sphere and promptly shot it forward! Talonflame, however, managed to avoid this in the nick of time and flew into the air! "Keep pursuing! Electro Web!" Before Talonflame could gather too much speed, Galvaltula spat out an electrical thread that wrapped around Talonflame's body!

"Oh no…!" Ash's eyes widened since Talonflame only got but so high into the sky. The problem now was that the web bound its wings, delivered an electrical shock…and now it was descending rapidly towards the stream!

"Now we've got you! Prepare to unleash Thunder on the lake the second Talonflame falls!" Galvantula nodded, sparks dancing around its body as Talonflame hopelessly fell.

"Oh no…is that it for Talonflame…?" Rui gasped.

Ash had to think and quickly. Losing Talonflame here could mean the momentum he had would stop! There was one option available…it was brash and unorthodox, but then again, that was just his style. "Talonflame! Use Flame Charge!"

" _What's he thinking!?"_ Kasumi thought.

Talonflame had flames flicker around its body for just a moment. The flames soon turned into a wildfire that incinerated the Electroweb. Talonflame broke free just before hitting the water, flying at increased speeds to slam into Galvantula and knocked it over onto its back. "Yes!"

"No way?!" Kasumi's eyes widened as her trap was foiled at the last second. "Use Thunder!" Galvantula quickly sprang back up, taking aim at Talonflame once more before releasing a strong high voltage bolt of lightning in its direction.

"Steel Wing!" Talonflame began to dive down, rapidly spinning in a corkscrew motion. Talonflame took the appearance of a highspeed drill, cutting through the Thunder while nosediving towards Galvantula. Impact caused a small explosion and Talonflame rose from the smoke while Galvantula was down on the ground in KO.

"Galvantula is unable to battle! Talonflame is the victor!" The referee pointed to Ash and Talonflame, leaving Galvantula's imaged grayed out on the screen.

"That was a close one…" Serena let out a sigh of relief. "I thought it was over after that Electro Web…"

"It was a well thought up trap considering it was a spur of the moment." Cynthia admitted. "Perhaps that's her experience as a performer coming into play…ad-lib can be important when it comes to a performance…or so what Diantha has told me, anyway."

And there was Elizabeth, brooding that it wasn't just Diantha, but now Cynthia giving praise to someone other than her! She was feeling pretty salty about this entire thing. "Cool. Awesome."

"Thanks, Galvantula…" Kasumi returned Galvantula with a soft smile. While she appeared calm on the outside, the score was 5-4 and she was admittedly feeling a little anxious. So anxious in fact, that black sparks briefly began to appear around her person and she writhed in pain. "Ngh…"

"H-Hey…are you okay…?" Ash was concerned.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Kasumi's tone was a bit low. "I'm more worried about you."

Ash had no idea what she meant with that second comment. "Huh?"

"Forget it…" Kasumi shook her head before calling forth her third pokemon. "Clefable, you're up next!" Clefable appeared both on the field and in Kasumi's third slot.

"Is she going to be okay…?" Cynthia asked the others, who were just as worried as she was. No one really had an answer…except Serena. But she was going to keep her selfish promise with Kasumi and not say anything.

"Lingering symptoms." Lovrina explained to the others. "I'm sure after what happened with Venus…her body is still reacting negatively to the effects. This is just a guess…don't take what I say without a grain of salt."

"Cosmic Power." Clefable lifted a finger up, tracing the moon. As it did so, a faint light began to wrap around its body, sharply increasing its defensive stats.

Of course, Ash was not deterred by an increase in status and would do what he always did: attack! "Flame Charge!" Talonflame surrounded its body in fierce flames once more, diving at Clefable with increased speed. Talonflame hit directly and flew back up immediately; only it didn't look like any damage was dealt. "Huh?"

"Oh…I see where this is going." Takeba nodded, stealing Clemont's thunder yet again before he even had the chance to speak. "For those who are unaware, Cosmic Power is a mysterious move that heightens the user's defense and special defense! Clefable has always been an annoying pokemon to deal with in battle one way or another, and if you let it set up on you it's just a nightmare!" …And for her wellbeing, everyone present was just going to let her have this one.

"Steel Wing!" Talonflame dove down once again, slamming into Clefable repeatedly with its steel hard wings. Even though Steel-type moves should have been super effective against a Fairy such as Clefable, it didn't look like they were doing any damage. "All right fine! Brave Bird!" Talonflame took high into the sky before rapidly descending, a fierce, fiery blue aura flaring around its body as it flew full throttle towards Clefable! This was also a direct hit. Talonflame gained some distance after impact, suffering from the recoil such a powerful move demanded. And the result this time…exactly the same! Clefable hadn't budged! "What the…!?"

"That Clefable has been very well trained in defense. I'm not sure how much damage has been done, but it doesn't seem to be significant." Sycamore remarked.

"Are you two done exhausting yourselves?" Kasumi grinned before lifting up a finger along with her Clefable. "Moon Blast!" A large sphere of fairy energy formed above Clefable that turned into a widespread beam!

"Flame Charge!" Talonflame evaded the Moon Blast narrowly, although its wing was clipped in the process, throwing its flight path completely off!

"Now, Psychic!" Clefable's eyes shone a neon blue light. An invisible, telekinetic wave wrapped itself around Talonflame tightly to constrict all of its movements. With a single whip of a finger, Clefable drove Talonflame into the rocky landscape without a second thought. With the dust settled from collision, Talonflame was KO'ed.

"Talonflame is unable to battle! Clefable is the winner!" The referee pointed at Clefable and Kasumi. Talonflame's image grayed out on the screen, thus bringing it to an even 4-4.

"Thank you Talonflame." Ash returned Talonflame with a smile. "You did great. Take a good rest."

"Okay Clefable, return." Surprisingly, Kasumi returned Clefable to use for later. "We can't dazzle the audience too much with our spectacle, otherwise they'll go blind and be unable to enjoy it. Magmortor, you're up!" And there was Kasumi's fourth pokemon.

"Goodra, I choose you!" As now revealed his fourth pokemon; Goodra! Who didn't love this gooey little dragon?"

"Hmmm…." Kasumi was well aware of the threat Goodra presented. It was more durable than it appeared so she had to make this quick before her momentum was bounced back at her. "Fire Blast!" Magmortar pointed its arm cannon forward, releasing a gigantic symbol of flame directly towards Goodra.

"Dragon Pulse!" Goodra reared its head back before lurching it forward, unleashing a multicolored beam of energy that took the shape of a dragon. The two blasts collided in the center of the field and a large explosion occurred! "Rain Dance!" Goodra let out a cry and a rain cloud started to form over the battlefield, letting a moderate rainfall on the arena.

"An advantageous move by Ash! Covering the field with rain will greatly weaken Magmortar's fire type moves!" The host explained.

"Rain, snow, hail, sandstorm, that doesn't matter!" Kasumi proclaimed as the rain grew heavier. "We won't kneel! Thunderbolt!" Pushing its arm forward once again, the cannon unleashed a strong bolt of lightning in Goodra's direction. This was a direct hit, forcing Goodra to slide back only slightly. "No effect?"

"We're made out of tougher stuff than you think! Ice Beam!" Goodra parted its lips, releasing a beam of frost at Magmortar. This was a direct hit, however, Magmortar held its ground.

"Tough stuff huh? Fire Blast into the ground." Magmortar plugged its arm into the rocky ground. Several pillars of flame began to shoot up erratically from all angles, threatening to close in on Goodra.

"Goodra, use Bide!" Just as a pillar of flame erupted on Goodra, a red aura flared around its body and it began to store energy within itself from being hit. "And fire!" With a battle cry, Goodra released a somewhat potent beam of raw energy in Magmortar's direction. Magmortar crossed its arm, taking the brunt of the Bide. Since Bide returned the damage dealt in double, it was only somewhat effective; precisely what Kasumi was looking for.

"Brick Break!" After the Bide, Magmortar began to dash across the rocky field, leaping over the stream and slammed its hand into Goodra's side for a shift, barrier breaking chop. Goodra groaned while stumbling off to the side from the impact.

"Dragon Pulse!" Goodra retaliated quickly, firing off another Dragon Pulse in Magmortar's direction while it was so close. The beam of energy overtook Magmortar and sent it flying backwards.

"Why is she being so stubborn…" Grace grumbled. "If the rain wasn't a factor, this would be an entirely different fight…"

"Focus Blast!" Magmortar fired off a sphere of energy in Goodra's direction.

"Bide again!" Goodra braced for impact. A red aura flared around its body as the Focus Blast exploded against its body. The impact was strong and Goodra was thrown backwards.

"We have to finish it here!" Kasumi commanded. "Focus Blast again!" And as commanded, yet another Focus Blast was unleashed! This one also slammed against Goodra, but the dragon was just not going to yield! "Thunderbolt!" And to follow up the Focus Blasts, a powerful bolt of lightning was dropped from the clouds above to smite Goodra!

"You have to endure it…" Ash mumbled. If there was anything Goodra could do, it was endure. Ash remained silent as Goodra took the full force of Kasumi's nonstop assault. After the thunderbolt…even though Goodra was extremely beat up, it was still standing and with a smirk as well!

"You've gotta be kidding…even after all that!?" Clearly Kasumi didn't understand just how willing to stand Goodra was!

"FIRE!" Ash shouted. Goodra cried out as loud as it could to release a gigantic beam of raw power and destruction that sliced through the battlefield towards Magmortar.

"Oh crap…Fire Blast…!" Kasumi was shaken by the attack coming her way and reacted the only way she knew how; fighting power with power. Magmortar pointed its arm forward yet again, releasing a symbol of flame that clashed with the Bide. The two attacks exploded dead center in the center of the field, creating an explosion that shook the very landscape! "Agh…!"

"Ah…!" Ash brought his arm up to cover his eyes from the wind. When the smoke cleared, both Goodra and Magmortar were down.

"Both Goodra and Magmortar are unable to battle! This is a draw!" With that, both of their images grayed out on the big screen. Once the two pokemon were returned, the score was 3-3.

"Now that both sides have three pokemon, the field will be changed!" The rocky terrain field was soon replaced with the grassy field. Nothing but a wide open grassy plain between Ash, Kasumi, and victory. Which of these trainers will advance to the finals? Will Kasumi overcome the challenge Ash presents and keep her friends safe from Wes' threat? Or will Ash unknowingly defeat Kasumi and put everyone in jeopardy? Either way…the only one who got a smile out of this was Wes. His plans ran deeper than anyone imagined…

Ash: Pikachu, Greninja, Noivern

Kasumi: Dragonite, Lucario, Clefable

To be continued….


	53. Chapter 53: My Weakness

"They both only have three pokemon left…" Serena was just as tense as everyone else. Even though she and Kasumi were close, in the end she could only root for Ash.

"I wonder how she'll react…" Wes questioned. Because in the end, he didn't care about the result of the battle…just what would happen when the battle reached its climax. Lovrina stared at Wes with what could be considered a slight glare. Did he notice? Perhaps, but his attention was solely on the battle ahead.

"Lucario, you're up next!" Kasumi revealed her fifth pokemon: Lucario. This pokemon had also made somewhat of a name for itself throughout the tournament, but it was nowhere near the reputation of Venusaur, Dragonite, or Ash-Greninja.

"Noivern, I'm counting on you!" And Ash's fifth Pokémon was Noivern! The dragon type kept high in the rainy skies, staring down at Lucario from above. "This is where things really get exciting! I hope you're ready!" The Rain Dance Goodra conjured against Magmortar had yet to fade away just yet.

"We're more than ready! We won't let you win…your momentum dies here!" Kasumi pointed at Noivern. "Aura Sphere!" Lucario pointed an arm forward, firing off a sphere of homing energy that soared towards Noivern within the skies.

"Dragon Claw!" Noivern flew forward, allowing green scales to cover its claws. Once close to the Aura Sphere, Noivern brought one claw forward to cleave through it with each. The dragon then descended upon Lucario to slash at it with its free claw. Lucario brought its arms forward to shield itself from the hit, sliding back across the grassy terrain from the impact. Noivern returned to the skies to keep the advantage over Lucario.

"Just because you're sky high doesn't mean anything! Extreme Speed into Bone Rush!" Lucario began darting forward with incredible speed, appearing as a blur to the untrained eye. In the midst of its sprint, the Aura Pokémon formed a bone within its grasp and used it as a pole vault to rocket itself high into the air; higher than Noivern's position! "Force Palm!" Lucario then dove down, smashing its paw against Noivern's chest. The impact was more than enough to send the dragon rocketing down to the ground with force!

"Ah!" Ash gasped from Kasumi's quick thinking. Noivern shook off the impact and began to fly once again. "Great! Use Supersonic!" Noivern shrieked, its ears releasing a powerful wave of sound that struck Lucario in the air! The fighting type was thrown back, sliding across the grass on its back before coming to a halt. "There we go!"

"Agh…" Kasumi grit her teeth as Lucario stood back up. "Extreme Speed! Don't let it get a lock on you!" Lucario nodded before speeding across the field yet again. Due to its high speed, Ash was unable to issue a command in time and Noivern received a rather powerful shoulder tackle that sent it backwards. "That's it! Keep it up!" Lucario then began circling around Noivern, making it difficult for trainer and pokemon to track it.

"Ah…Noivern, don't use your eyes! Sense it out with your echolocation!" This was Ash's only plot at this rate; otherwise Lucario was going to take them out! Noivern closed its eyes, using its super sensitive hearing to track Lucario's movement. What it listened for was the pitter patter of its footsteps in the rain and the soft squish of the grass it stepped over. Ash and Noivern seemed to be in sync; because once Noivern got a lock on Lucario it was time! "Boomburst!" Noivern turned in Lucario's direction, unleashing a gigantic burst of sound from its ears with a loud shriek! The impact swept Lucario off its feet and sent it soaring high into the air!

"He found it!?" Kasumi eyes widened at Ash's play on his pokemon's abilities. She underestimated Noivern's hearing and now she was paying the price for it. "Aura Sphere!"

"Acrobatics!" Noivern took off into the sky, nimbly moving about to increase its velocity. Just as Noivern reached Lucario, an Aura Sphere was crafted within its palm and it pushed it forward! The took impacting with one another creating an explosion in the rainy skies! The one to fall from the smoke in complete defeat was….Lucario. Lucario hit the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Lucario is unable to battle! Noivern is the winner!" With the referee pointing to Noivern, Lucario's imaged grayed out on the screen. This left Kasumi with only two pokemon remaining…

"Thank you, Lucario…" Kasumi returned Lucario with a soft smile. Shortly after she did the black sparks began to appear around her body again. She was getting stressed, but she was making sure to try and keep her emotions under control. She was having fun…but it was hard to have fun when she believed the fate of her friends rested on her victory against one of her friends.

"Kasumi…?" Ash was still worried, as were the others who noticed. Ash returned Noivern for later while staring at the blonde.

"I-I'm fine…." Kasumi was stubborn on this point.

"…Is she going to be all right?" Sycamore asked Diantha worriedly.

Diantha stared at Kasumi. There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach…one she tried to ignore, but it was there like a knot. She was hoping her intuition was wrong… "I hope so. If not…I will personally pull the plug on this battle myself. I do not want this innocent girl to suffer any more than she has to."

"Clefable!" Kasumi called out that bulky Clefable again. While she had the disadvantage in numbers…she was confident Clefable's defenses to ward off Ash's momentum and allow her to advance.

"All right Pikachu…you ready for another fight?" Ash glanced at Pikachu who gave an eager nod. Pikachu hopped back into the fray, ecstatic sparks dancing around its body.

"Cosmic Power!" Clefable lifted its finger up, allowing a cosmic light to envelope its body. This light once again raised the fairy's defenses to make it just as tanky as it was when it fought Talonflame. "There. Now try breaking past us now!"

"You asked for it! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Pikachu began to dart forward in a straight line. It only took a matter of seconds before Pikachu rammed headfirst into Clefable's body….only to bounce right off and tumble along the ground. "No effect…!"

"Not at all! Now, Moonblast!" Lifting a finger up, a sphere of energy formed above Clefable that soon turned into a massive beam of bright energy that launched at Pikachu. It was a direct hit and Pikachu was thrown backwards. "Ah ha! Finally, some headway! If we beat Pikachu now, there's no way we can lose!"

"We'll see about that!" Ash was really enjoying this now! "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu leapt into the air before releasing a potent bolt of lightning at Clefable. Unfortunately for Ash it didn't look like any damage was dealt even with the direct hit. Clefable was wet from the rain so the Thunderbolt should've done even more damage than normal too. "Geez…that thing is really tough…!"

"Let's spice things up a bit. Metronome." Oh no…it was a gamble now. Clefable began to wave its finger around and the tension in the arena almost instantly rose. Everyone stayed quiet until Clefable finally drew out a move from the existing repertoire of attacks within the pokemon world. The move of choice was: Blizzard! Clefable exhaled and unleashed a sharp chilling wind that not only froze several raindrops, but also kept Pikachu pinned down to its current position.

"Pikachu, get out of there!" Pikachu nodded and dove to the side, avoiding the Blizzard. "Now, Electro Ball!" Pikachu gathered electricity on its tail in the shape of a sphere. Once Pikachu was ready it hurled said sphere forward at a violent velocity!

"Cosmic Power!" Clefable raised its defenses once again just as the Electroball hit. While it was a direct hit it was becoming increasing difficult to discern if Clefable was actually taking damage or not.

"Agh…" The frustration was slowly beginning to get to Ash. He'd lost count how many attacks actually hit Clefable at this point, but all he knew was that he was likely no closer knocking it out. "We have to think of something…we need a decisive hit…"

"Psychic." Kasumi, however, was not going to allow Ash the time to think of one of his usual out of the box plans. Clefable used its telekinetic power to take all the frozen raindrops and merge them into a large ball of ice (imagine Ice Ball at its max stage) and hurled it at Pikachu full throttle.

"Iron Tail…!" Pikachu took a leap forward as its tail shone a bright white. The mouse swung its tail down violently, smashing the sphere of ice into multiple pieces once again!

"You fell for it! Psychic again!" Clefable waved its finger around once again. The shards of ice came together in a ball of ice once again, only this time Pikachu was entrapped in the center of it!

"Oh no!" Ash realized his mistake, but now it was too late to rectify it!

"Moon Blast!" Another beam of energy was unleashed towards the frozen Pikachu. The ice shattered upon impact and Pikachu was thrown back, noticeable battle damage appearing on its body. "Is it STILL active? Unbelievable…!"

Pikachu was a durable one, that was for sure…but even it had its limits. Pikachu groaned while struggling to stand on all four legs. "Come on Pikachu, we've got to do something…" Ash gave Clefable a good hard look before noticing something…its movements were slower than before. Perhaps…

"Metronome!" Clefable began to waggle its finger around once again. If the tide of the battle was to be determined, it was going to be here and now by this random chance move. The move of choice this time was…Giga Impact. Clefable began to sprint forward with a fierce aura flaring around its body. It was all or nothing!

"Pikachu! You trust me?" Pikachu turned back and nodded. "Great…then use Quick Attack!" Pikachu began to sprint forward without a second thought.

"He's really going to try and clash with that!?" Takeba was questioning Ash's sanity. "There's no way…even I'm not that dumb..!"

"Least she admits it…" Elizabeth muttered.

Pikachu and Clefable began to close in on one another rapidly. It wasn't long before they were to collide, but at the last second Ash issued his command, having faith that Pikachu would be able to comply just as needed. "Iron Tail!" Pikachu slammed its tail into the ground to bounce into the air, allowing Clefable to slide to a halt just after the unexpected evasion. It was as Ash thought: Clefable put all its momentum into colliding with Pikachu so the lack of impact threw it off balance! "NOW!" Pikachu reared its tail back, putting all of its might and momentum into one final swing. Pikachu's tail slammed into Clefable's head with such force the ground shattered under its strength. Clefable was thrown back with considerable force and hit the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Clefable is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" With that…Clefable's imaged grayed out on the screen, leaving Ash with a 3-1 victory at first glance.

"Ash has been on fire this match…!" Bonnie cheered.

"Huh…I guess the damage Clefable was taking really did begin to rack up after all." Takeba tilted her head to the side. "It did take a beating from Talonflame earlier…and Pikachu's really strong so it's only natural it didn't manage to hold out. But now Kasumi's behind…Ash may have 2 injured pokemon, but Greninja hasn't even come out yet…"

"His numbers look better, but numbers don't mean everything." Cynthia made her remark. "I'm fairly interested to see if this battle is as close as I think it will be."

"Pikachu, come back." Pikachu nodded to Ash, hopping over back to its trainers side as Kasumi returned Clefable.

" _Stay calm…I can do this…it's not impossible…"_ Kasumi was trying to control her thoughts, but her stress was once again made prevalent by the black sparks appearing. She couldn't hide her emotions very well like this. "Don't say anything! I'm fine! Stop worrying!" She didn't even wait for Ash to show concern this time…only such a loud reaction made everyone worry even more. The Rain Dance finally dissipated and the sun began to shine, but for some reason this was more of a bad omen than a good one. "We're not finished yet…Dragonite and I will finish this…" As she said that, she called forth her sixth and final pokemon: Dragonite. Her hopes were riding on her trusted partner from this point on.

Cynthia's concerns for Kasumi were only growing as the black sparks continued to dance around her. "…"

"Noivern, come back out!" Ash called out Noivern once again. It was no use actively worrying about Kasumi so he was just going to enjoy the rest of the battle for what it was. Dragonite vs. Noivern; another duel between dragons! "Supersonic!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

Both Dragonite and Noivern released their respective attacks, clashing in the center before exploding. "Fire Punch!" Dragonite allowed flames to wrap around its fist, pushing off the ground to fly through the smoke and aim a fiery fist at Noivern!

"Noivern, into the sky!" With the ability to see into the smoke, Noivern could see Dragonite coming a mile away. The dragon flapped its wings and took off into the sky, avoiding Dragonite's fist at the last second.

"After it!" Kasumi demanded. As soon as Noivern took off Dragonite followed right after in hot pursuit.

"Dragon Claw!" Noivern turned to clash with Dragonite's continuous Fire Punch. The two clashed before breaking away from one another. "Boomburst!" At such close range, not even Dragonite could avoid the massive sound wave. Impact was strong and Dragonite was flung backwards across the sky before recovering.

"Dragon Rush!" Dragonite recovered from the Boomburst, flapping its wings forward once again as multicolored energy flared around its body. Dragonite aimed to throttle Noivern at full speed!

"Acrobatics!" Noivern planned on matching Dragonite blow for blow! With nimble aerial mobility, Noivern built up momentum before crashing into Dragonite in the middle of the sky! The two were locked in a fierce stalemate before their resulting energies ended in a large explosion, and both dragons began to fall from the sky. "Noivern…!"

"Dragonite! Draco Meteor!" Dragonite flipped while pointing its mouth to the sky. A single sphere shot forth from its mouth, which exploded and turned into multiple raining meteors that descended onto the field and Noivern!

Ash hadn't forgotten about Draco Meteor; it was the move that helped Kasumi defeated Venus. Now that he was dealing with it himself, it was much more problematic now that he was dealing with it himself. "Noivern, get out of there!" Easier said than done. Noivern did its best to avoid the falling meteors, but it was unable to completely escape the Draco and one exploded right in its face, sending it falling to the ground. Once Noivern landed it was clear what the result was.

"Noivern is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner!" The referee pointed at Dragonite and Noivern's imaged grayed out on the screen, leaving Ash with only two left.

"Thanks Noivern, you did great. Take a good rest." Ash returned Noivern before looking at Pikachu once again. "Okay buddy…it's all on you again. You ready?" Pikachu nodded and hopped onto the field once again.

"And Pikachu is out once again!" The host said. "Kasumi is still down, but it's not over yet!? Can she break through this and still attain victory!?"

"I'll do that if it's the last thing I do." Kasumi grumbled before throwing her hand forward. "That mouse has taken out two of my Pokémon and he's not taking out a third! Fire Punch!" Dragonite sped forward, cloaking its fist in flames. Pikachu was still suffering from its previous battles against Blissey and Clefable, so its reaction time was a little slow. Dragonite managed a solid hit with Fire Punch and sent Pikachu tumbling backwards across the grass, but it was still kicking! "Why won't it go down?!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu grumbled in pain before unleashing another bolt of lightning at Dragonite! This one was a direct hit and Dragonite roared out in pain. Slowly but surely, Dragonite was starting to have damage build up on it.

"Dragon Pulse…!" Kasumi's voice was rising with each command. It was easy to tell how distressed she was with each passing second. Dragonite reared its head back to fire off another Dragon Pulse in Pikachu's direction.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu hopped off the ground, intuitively slamming its tail onto the ground to kick up a wall of dirt to shield it from the Dragon Pulse! The dirt snuffed out the energy, leaving Pikachu completely unharmed.

"You've gotta be…" Kasumi's heart was beginning to race. Every time she did something, Ash always had a way out of it because his thought process was quick and didn't make any sense! It was just so frustrating! It made sense how he made it this far…but Kasumi didn't have the patience for his antics. "Fine! We'll wipe you out here! Draco Meteor!" Dragonite pointed its head up, unleashing another Draco. The meteors were much more violent than before and rained down with almost murderous intent.

Despite this, Ash kept his cool and grinned. "We've dealt with this before. Pikachu…Just like back then! Use Iron Tail!" Pikachu nodded and took to the air, smacking the descending meteors with its tail, using them as leverage to propel itself even higher into the air with each passing meteor.

"It's Draco Meteor Climb!" Serena clasped her hands together. She remembered how Ash and Pikachu pulled this off during the gym battle against Grant.

"You can't be SERIOUS…" Kasumi growled while watching Pikachu ascend to the top above the meteors. Pikachu then dropped down with all momentum behind it, slamming its tail onto Dragonite's tail with such force the dragon stumbled backwards after crying out in pain.

"Nice job!" Ash praised Pikachu upon landing. Their momentum was still strong and victory was in sight!

As for Kasumi…she just stared wide eyed at Ash and Pikachu, almost as though she were frozen in fear. _"I'm going to lose."_ That thought raced in her mind nonstop…the thought of all of her friends falling to something horrible due to Wes, all because she couldn't beat Ash here. She may have been dying, but the last thing she absolutely wanted was to have everyone else follow her because of her weakness! She just couldn't allow that…the stress reached its peak and well…it all just came out. Kasumi let out a scream as that all too familiar shadow aura exploded from around her! Dragonite was affected as well, shaking its head back and forth as it began to change as well!

.

"W-What's going on!?" Bonnie cringed from the scary sight, while Squishy poked its head out from her bag again at last.

"Kasumi…!?" Marcus wasn't sure what to do but watch.

"Why is she freaking out!?" Grace's eyes widened in horror. "Kasumi! Calm down! It's okay!"

"No no no no…" Rui stood up from her seat. Her special eyes saw what was happening all along, but she only assumed it was the shadow residue left within Kasumi. "I should've spoken up sooner, darn it…! This is bad…!"

"E-Even I didn't see this coming…" Scott began to sweat.

"…Heh…" Wes' chuckle was very quiet. The smirk on his face wasn't even visible. But Lovrina knew…and she was very concerned.

"That's it; I'm pulling the plug on this right now." Cynthia began to stand up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Champion." Wes remarked.

"What?!" Cynthia glared at Wes. She picked up on the eerily calm nature of Wes, immediately thinking of it as something to watch out for. "How can you sit here and say that without even the slightest bit of concern in your voice? She's losing control of herself out there and…"

"And if you end the battle now…she'd have nothing to focus her aggression on. This isn't like the fight with Venus; she's not in control of herself." Wes pointed out. "If you wanted to stop her by force…you're perhaps one of the two worst people qualified for the job. I hope you haven't forgotten the fact that anything that happens to Shadow Dragonite, happens to that girl twofold. You're a little slow on the uptake…but it looks like Diantha has realized this." One look at Diantha and one could see that Wes was right. Diantha stood up, but the realization of what TO do after calling the battle off struck. With a move like Draco Meteor in Dragonite's arsenal, the chances of the civilians getting hurt was high. They were stuck and Ash was the scapegoat.

"Kasumi…Ash…." Serena was torn now. She placed a hand on her chest, frowning while staring at the two of them.

"S-She's going nuts again…!" Meowth didn't like where this was going at all!

"It's the same thing as before…" James kept his cool, but that didn't mean he thought this situation was anything but light.

"A-And it appears that Kasumi has…uhm…" Even Malva was at a loss for words! For anyone out of the loop…they had no idea what to call this….The sun was bright, but the battlefield was dark.

Diantha clenched her hand into a fist. Sycamore only knew a little about the current situation, but needless to say he was feeling how everyone else was at the moment. "This…is not good…"

.

"Kasumi!" Ash shouted. "What's wrong!? Why are you panicking!?"

"Ah…..ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Kasumi's only response was her angered scream. Red eyes flashed, replacing the green ones usually so full of life. "W-WE CAN'T LOSE!" The black sparks began to dance wildly around her body and Shadow Dragonite's. Without so much as a verbal command, Dragonite unleashed a Dragon Pulse at Pikachu. This one was pitch black in color and was much larger than before!

"Pikachu look out!" This wasn't even a dodge command, it was something stated out of pure worry. Pikachu barely managed to jump to the side. "Electro Ball!" Pikachu then flicked its tail forward, releasing an electrical sphere in Dragonite's direction.

"Fire Punch!" Black flame wrapped around Dragonite's fists and two were thrown forward. The Electroball was easily overpowered and shattered by Dragonite's increasingly overwhelming power. Dragonite then flew forward, swinging its fist up for a fierce uppercut to Pikachu's body. Pikachu flew into the air before harshly landing on its back. It didn't take much more for the mouse to finally be KO'ed on the spot.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! D-Dragonite is the victor!" Pikachu's image grayed out, leaving Ash with only one pokemon left.

But that wasn't the problem. The problem is that even after Pikachu was down, both Kasumi and Dragonite lost their rational inhibition and continued! Dragonite landed in front of the downed Pikachu and began to rear its fist back. "Can't…lose…" Kasumi grumbled, completely blind to the fact the mouse that caused her so much angst was already down.

"KASUMI STOP!" Practically everyone in the Kalos team shouted at once. That was enough to caught her attention for a split second. This was more than enough time for Ash to be reckless as always and slide in to grab Pikachu before running out.

"…." Did Kasumi even know what she was doing anymore? It was hard to tell…

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash cradled the weakened Pikachu who only nodded slightly. "Okay, good…take a good rest buddy." Setting Pikachu down slowly, the trainer then reached for his final pokemon."Okay Greninja…I'm counting on you." Tossing the capsule forward, Greninja finally made its appearance as Ash's sixth and final pokemon.

"T-This is it…The final round for the spot in the finals! Which trainer will overcome the other?!" Clearly…the host was unaware that this was not the time for a reminder of what was at stake.

Greninja looked at Ash, who nodded in response. Shadow Dragonite was not something they could afford to spend too long playing around with. The longer the Shadow, the longer Kasumi suffered. "Greninja. We have to go at them with everything we've got if we want to save them. So we have to do what we can to help them!" Greninja's eyes shown a bright red before water exploded around its body! The transformation occurred within the water, which soon turned into a large shuriken that fit comfortably on its back. Ash-Greninja was already here to save the day…and as soon as Ash and Greninja were synchronized with one another, they could see it too…the malevolent aura around Kasumi. "Ah…"

"H-Help me…" Kasumi pleaded while hugging herself, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm losing control of myself! I'm scared…!"

"Kasumi…" Ash grit his teeth. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation. If he hurt Dragonite, Kasumi got hurt too! The same applied to him of course, but so far it wasn't on such a concerning scale. "…Kasumi, let it all go! Don't fight it!"

"Is he stupid!?" Lovrina stood up and slammed her hands on the railing. "Fighting it is the only thing keeping her sane at the moment!"

"No…he's right…" Rui explained. "If she fights it in her condition…it'll only cause more damage. She has to release the chains…although I'm worried what this could entail for her future…if Ash finishes this fast…or loses…or if she passes out from exhaustion…"

"Facing off against a Shadow Pokémon like that at full power? Such a fool…" Wes shook his head.

"Trust me…Greninja and I will knock you back to your senses!" Ash grinned at Kasumi. "So give us everything you've got!"

"O-Okay…" Kasumi was trusting Ash on this. She stopped fighting and just…let it all come out. The shadowy aura intensified the second she did and she screamed. It hurt…it hurt so much and she was crying. How Wes could smile in the face of this….

"Here we go…" Ash and Greninja were on the same page. This wasn't about winning the tournament anymore; this was something even more important to deal with. "Dash at it and use Double Team!" Greninja began to sprint forward, creating multiple illusory copies of itself in the process, all of them darting towards Dragonite.

"Dragon Pulse!" Kasumi only had a one track mind at this point: win no matter the cost. Dragonite inhaled before releasing a widespread beam that covered the entire field, wiping out every single Greninja on the field! There was a puff of smoke surrounding Greninja's last known location, hiding it from sight.

"Water Shuriken!" Lunging from the smoke, Greninja gripped the shuriken on its back and hurled it forward! The Water Shuriken was a direct hit and Dragonite was sent skidding back with a growl of pain, one mimicked by Kasumi in the process as she gripped her arm.

"Don't hit her too hard…!" Grace pleaded.

"Fire Punch!" Dragonite allowed black fire to swarm around its fists once again, swinging them forward rapidly at Greninja. Greninja was fairly nimble so it managed to avoid the majority of the punches aimed at it. But a punch to the gut forced it to double over, where Dragonite then followed up with a sideways hammer fist! The impact was ridiculously strong and Greninja was thrown on its back with a cry of pain, where Ash also grimaced as a result. "Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite flapped its wings and flew forward, unleashing yet another Shadow Dragon Pulse in Greninja's direction.

"Cut!" Greninja recovered from the Fire Punch, placing its hands on its thigh to draw two kunai to hold in front of it. The kunai acted as shields, slicing the Dragon Pulse in half before it could truly reach Greninja. Once the Dragon Pulse was over, Greninja began dashing forward, slicing Dragonite's side with its kunai. Dragonite lost its flight path and crashed into the ground, causing even more pain to Kasumi in the process. "Kasumi…"

It was as though she were forcing her body to be numb to the pain. Dragonite picked itself up and roared, cloaking its body in a fierce dark veil which was Dragon Rush, only with the Shadow attribute added to it. "Shadow Dragon Rush!" Now things were getting serious. Dragonite flew forward at full speed, not stopping until it came into contact with Greninja!

"Aerial Ace!" With its fist and feet shining brightly, Greninja lunged forward to clash with the Shadow Dragon Rush! The two held a stalemate before Dragonite overpowered Greninja and crush it into the ground! With the power of Shadow moves, Ash and Greninja were both feeling the impact and it didn't feel good one bit. "Ugh…I see why these things are a problem…Water Shuriken!" Ash brought his hand back, mirroring Greninja's movements. Greninja hurled another Shuriken at high speeds towards Dragonite.

"Slash it!" A move wasn't even required this time. Dragonite brought its claw forward and simply cut through the Water Shuriken, allowing the attack to lose its form and explode behind it. Little did Kasumi realize that it was all just a ploy…because Greninja closed the distance between them in the time it took to react! "Wha…!?"

"Aerial Ace!" SMASH! Greninja slammed its fist into Dragonite's stomach, followed up with a rising uppercut to the chin, a fierce downward axe kick to the head, finished off with a swift roundhouse to the chest. Kasumi reacted to each and every hit before Dragonite finally stumbled backwards.

"FIRE PUNCH!" Dragonite instantly responded to Kasumi's shout. Fiery punches were aimed at Greninja and the two were soon in a fierce deadlock. The two were evading, clashing, or landing punches on the opposition. Their movements were so swift it was difficult for those not included to keep up, which only made the worry rise for those in the stands. Eventually Greninja and Dragonite ended their close combat exchanged with a punch to each other's face, making them retreat back to reset distance. "Ignite the field!" Dragonite brought its fiery fist down on the grassy terrain, igniting the grass to send a wave of fire at Greninja.

"Block it with your Shuriken!" Greninja reached back, gripping the tip of its shuriken before stabbing it into the ground. This sent out a surprising wave of water to counter the fire, which turned into a large steam cloud lingering in the middle of the field. Greninja then hurled the shuriken forward and it struck Dragonite, causing to skid back. Of course, Kasumi felt this as well and her audible growl of pain made that evident.

"They can't keep dancing around like this! Kasumi's not going to last…!" Takeba flailed her arms worriedly. "Come on Ash…do something…!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite fired off another beam of energy. Each time it felt as though they were getting more and more destructive and increased in murderous intent.

"Cut!" Greninja drew its kunai once again, slicing through the Dragon Pulse while pushing towards Dragonite to try and put it down. This time, however, Kasumi saw through the ruse and commanded Dragonite to fly into the sky, where Greninja didn't have any immediate means of attacking it.

"I'm going to end this. Draco Meteor." Oh no. This was bad. Draco Meteor combined with her out of control Shadow powers?! Dragonite lifted its head up and fired off a pitch black meteor that covered the sky. Unlike before…the single meteor did not explode. Instead, it remained in the sky to block out the sun, raining down countless pitch black meteors. It was destruction in the form of darkness! The meteors that hit the ground exploded and covered an insanely wide radius, and Greninja was doing all it could do avoid them! The problem was the number of meteors…it was practically endless as long as the one void remained in the sky!

"This is bad…!" Clemont leaned forward. "That Draco Meteor is unlike anything I've ever seen before…!"

"Imagine if she used that with no target in mind." Wes was rubbing in his hypothesis in the antsy Cynthia's nose.

"Okay but the problem is that there's no way Ash and Greninja can withstand all of that after a while…! If they can't close the distance…" Elizabeth was also exceedingly worried about this.

"No…it's okay." The conviction Serena held in her voice caused everyone to turn to her. Even as Ash-Greninja evaded the falling meteors with some difficulty, she had the upmost faith in them. "Ash is with Greninja after all…"

"And he turns his strength into his Pokémon's strength and vice versa…." Clemont could see where Serena was going with this.

"As long as those two are together…everything will be fine, I know it…!" Serena nodded. "They won't falter…and I'm sure they'll knock Kasumi back to normal…!"

"You sound sure…how do you know…?" Lovrina stared at Serena worriedly.

"I know it in my heart…because that's the kind of person Ash is. He'll never give up on someone if he can help them…" Serena responded with a soft smile. Ash and Greninja were ducking and weaving in perfect unison…Ash was even grinning at this?!

"Okay Greninja, now's our chance! Water Shuriken!" Greninja had not one, but two shurikens within its grasp! With the opening it needed, Greninja tossed both shuriken forward, slicing through the meteors before the void itself, which exploded in a brilliant darkness. The sun's rays shone down on the arena once more upon the void's destruction!

"…Even now, they're in perfect sync…" Sycamore remarked.

"Yes…" Diantha nodded slowly.

"W-WHAT?!" Kasumi's red eyes widened as the Draco Meteor was completely destroyed.

"He destroyed it!" Kayla grinned.

"Let's go Greninja!" Greninja formed another shuriken on its back before taking into the air, meeting Dragonite at eye level. "Double Team!" Soon, multiple copies of Greninja began to spread out along the sky, leaving Kasumi and Dragonite baffled as to which one was the real one.

"DESTROY THEM ALL! DRAGON PULSE!" Dragonite roared once again, releasing a dark wave of energy in a circular motion. Every Greninja was completely obliterated and the only thing that remained was the smoke. But still…there was something that was missing from all of this.

"NOW!" The real Greninja was even higher in the sky than Dragonite! All eyes were on the airborne Greninja as it drew its arm back, lifting up the Water Shuriken within its grasp. "We'll finish it with this, Kasumi! Unleash the Giant Water Shuriken!" The shuriken within Greninja's hand shone briefly before its sized tripled, leaving all eyes wide! Without further instruction, Greninja let out a loud cry before tossing its final gambit forward!

"He's behind…!? Dragon Pulse!" Kasumi and Dragonite turned in unsion. Dragonite managed to gather enough power to unleash a gigantic wave at the incoming Water Shuriken. The only thing the people could see as a result of this last ditch effort was the explosion that overtook the skies…a pitch black cloud that lingered longer than it should've. A figure fell from the smoke and onto the grassy plain: Dragonite. Dragonite reverted to normal with swirls in its eyes to signify its defeat.

The referee was so shaken from that it took him a moment to actually call the result. "O-Oh right…! Dragonite is unable to battle! Therefore, Ash is the victor and advances to the final round!"

The host began speaking, making a big deal about the coming finals which was Marcus vs Ash…but that didn't matter to anyone on the Kalos side right now. They all began rushing down to the arena to check on Kasumi. Ash could only stare; he was a little sore himself and couldn't bring himself to actually move. "K-Kasumi…"

Kasumi's eyes slowly returned to normal…..but they were extremely dulled. The vibrant light of life left them and her breathing was exceptionally ragged. The tears began streaming down her cheeks and black sparks continuously danced around her body. "I…I'm so sorry…I was so weak…."

"H-Huh…?" Ash didn't understand what was going on at all. "Why did you…"

"…You beat me fair and square…I was just trying to protect you all…but I couldn't even do that…" Kasumi's voice was…broken. "I'm just a burden to everyone after all…and I didn't want you to pay the price for it…that's my weakness….Hey Ash…can you do me a favor..." Her eyes were starting to get a little heavy. "…When you fight Marcus….please…give him a fight to remember…something that'll push him past his limits…please? I wanted to do that…but I'm just too weak…I know I can count on you for that…right…? Win…for me…" Kasumi then convulsed a little, coughing up some blood before she just fell forward with her eyes closed. She was unconscious, black sparks still continuously dancing around her body even now. It was around then the others finally arrived.

"Kasumi…!" The others rushed to Kasumi's aid to check on her condition.

Wes stayed behind, giving Kasumi a once over before nodding quietly to himself. "…That'll do." Nobody heard his remarks; nobody saw the smile he hid so well. Nobody knew his true intentions except Lovrina…and at this point, even she was beginning to doubt she knew what was going on inside his head.

.

.

Next Time: The Day before the End.


	54. Chapter 54: The Day Before The End

_"_ _Ah…but I'm scared…what if something bad happens and I lose control…?"_

 _"_ _Don't worry…nothing bad will happen. Even if you're scared, I know you can find the courage to overcome it. You keep selling yourself short, Kasumi. Marcus and I will be here for you. Even times when you're afraid, don't let your courage fade. That can be our promise, yeah?"_

 _"_ _Y-Yeah…! That's our promise…I-It's scary…this power is really frightening…but I can't let it get to me…I'll try not to use it. I won't cry or show fear…!"_

 _"_ _See, you're strong. Look at that smile."_

That was all Grace could think about after what happened during Ash and Kasumi's match. That was the first time in a long time she heard Kasumi outright say she was scared. The way Kasumi cried really got to her…she got to comfortable and forgot why she was fighting with Chiper. It was to save Kasumi from her darkness, and she lost her chance now. She was the last person to visit Kasumi and the news was not good…

"After what happened…her body shut down and is in a comatose state…" Nurse Joy reported. "She is still alive…but I don't think she will be waking up for some time…"

That was the news that hurt Grace. Her fight was amounting to nothing…but there was probably still a chance she could secure a Time Flute…! As long as Wes was willing to give it to her anyway. Marcus decided to do all he could, which was focus on the coming Finals against Ash, and chances were Ash was doing the same thing. Grace sat in silence for a while with Kasumi until the doors opened. Wes and Lovrina walked in and she already hated the direction things were doing. "…What are you two doing here?"

"I see she's still alive. Good. Looks like things are proceeding as planned." Wes walked past Grace's chair and had a Snag Ball at the ready. He tapped Dragonite's Pokeball and the Snag Ball swallowed it up. The ball shook a few times before the chime occurred. "I'll be taking this."

"Just what do you think you're doing…!?" Grace stood up, glaring at Wes. "That's her pokemon!"

"Taking back part of the research project." Wes explained. "There is also one more thing. I'm relocating XD-002 to Chiper HQ in the Badlands."

"She has a name." That comment surprisingly came from Lovrina.

"…Anyway." Wes flat out ignored Lovrina's remark. "Has everyone seen her already? It would cause quite a stir if the resting patient was seen missing." Grace remained silent, almost as if she were debating answering the question. "Oh, I get it. You're worried if she'll be safe in Chiper care. Don't worry; we can't afford to have anything happen to her this late in the game. Plus the machines there will be much better at regulating her Shadow Power than these shoddy machines. I'm a generous soul…so after the tournament ends tomorrow, I'll give you that Time Flute you so desire."

The only thing keeping Grace hooked to working with Chiper behind her friend's back. Even if it was just bait…she had to take it. "…Everyone's seen her. I'm the last one."

"Excellent. Lovrina, you know what to do." Wes turned and exited the room.

"…I don't know what he's thinking anymore." Lovrina sighed heavily while calling out her Gardevoir. Without another word, Gardevoir used Teleport to warp Lovrina, Kasumi, and itself away, leaving Grace alone with her thoughts….

.

Back in the hotel, the others (minus Marcus, Grace, Lovrina, and Wes) were reeling about today's events. Ash was still in a state of disbelief over his fight with Kasumi and Serena noticed it. "She's still alive, Ash, okay? It wasn't your fault…you did her a better justice than letting her fall apart."

"I know…." Ash nodded slowly in agreement. "It's just…in that moment…Greninja and I could really see how terrible she looked inside. Her heart was breaking…but I couldn't hesitate."

"You did a good thing, Ash." Scott reassured. "I was not expecting her to lose control like that…I wonder what it was that made her like that to begin with. She didn't have any reason…"

"As far as we know, maybe she just really wanted to win." Lore suggested with a shrug. It was a possibility in poor taste, but it wasn't one that could be brushed off the table so easily. "The darkness festers in people's hearts rather easily…once you get a taste of it; it is highly unlikely it will let you go. In Kasumi's case, her heart is swimming in a pool of darkness that she cannot escape from so easily."

"I hate that your idiotic rambling is actually level with the situation…" Kayla sighed.

"I hope she'll wake up soon…" Rui tugged her jacket. "I can't even look at her without seeing all that darkness radiating from around her. I'm amazed she's managed to hold together for so long."

Right…the others didn't know what Serena knew. She wanted to speak up about it…but Ash was already feeling pretty bad, and she didn't want to ruin his focus for the Finals tomorrow. "…"

"Today started off really nicely, too…" Elizabeth threw her head back in aggravation. "Two great battles up until the end. And you know…I've been holding back on this for a while, but Wes has been extremely rude lately. You can't just talk to a champion like that…!"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Cynthia waved her hand with a small smile. Her appearance made Elizabeth freeze up in her usual star struck manner. "I'm used to such tones coming from various people. He did have a point. As much as I would've liked to step in, Garchomp and I would have only done more harm than good. However, I would like to unleash my dragon's rage on the evil person who subjected that poor girl to such torment."

"Seconded." Elizabeth remarked. "I bet it was Wes."

"AHEM." Rui cleared her throat obnoxiously loud to voice her objection to Elizabeth's statement. "Wes may be rough around the edges…but he'd never subject a poor girl like Kasumi to such torment."

"He doesn't seem to care about her all that much either." Elizabeth retorted. "I vaguely recall him ever saying her name when talking about her…"

Rui crossed her arms and huffed. "His opinions on you aren't exactly high quality either…"

"…What has he been saying about me?" Elizabeth tilted her head.

"You…..you don't want to know…" Rui smiled nervously.

While everyone kept chatting, Bonnie was holding Squishy with a somewhat worried look. She could tell that Squishy was on edge about something, but she couldn't exactly put her finger on it. "You're very tense, Squishy…what's wrong?" The only response given was a strange noise, although that didn't exactly give Bonnie much to work with. "Huh…"

"What's wrong?" Clemont was of coursed concerned for anything that had Bonnie worried.

"I don't know…Squishy seems worried about something…but I don't know what it is…" Bonnie sighed.

"So…tomorrow's going to be our last day here right?" Takeba crossed her arms. "What's everyone doing after the ceremony tomorrow?"

"Ah right…I almost forgot that once the tournament ends, we won't have much of a reason to stick around anymore…" Elizabeth sighed. "I'll be going back to Sinnoh. There's a…strong…person…that I want to battle there." …It was Cynthia. She was gonna say Cynthia, but she choked.

"I…I should probably go back home after this…" Takeba did seem a little apprehensive when talking about home. There were questions, but nobody really wanted to pry…

"I'll be going back to Sinnoh as well." Cynthia said. "I did tell the League I wouldn't be gone for too long, but the Chiper investigation with the International Police has taken a little longer than I thought. While it seems like we're done…I can't help but feel like there's something we overlooked…"

"Speaking of that…where did Wes go exactly?" Clemont asked. "Haven't seen him since the match."

"He said there were a few things he wanted to take care of before tomorrow." Rui explained. "I do wish he was a little more cooperative in the investigation beforehand…"

"It can't be helped. He doesn't have to help if he doesn't want to." Cynthia shrugged. "Anyway…how about the rest of you?"

"I'm going to go back to Unova and challenge Caitlin of the Elite Four for the title of ultimate Psychic." Scott boldly proclaimed. Seemed even he had goals he wanted to achieve one day.

"…Have you even used a Psychic type pokemon?" Kayla lifted a brow curiously.

"…Darmanitan." Scott coughed. "Zen-Mode, to be precise. But that's not the point!"

"Let him have his dream." Cynthia laughed softly.

"I'm going back to Hoenn to practice my dark arts some more." Lore nodded. His mannerisms were still…off, but he meant well. Probably.

"Back to Johto with me." Kayla said while waving her hand. "I'm starting to get a little homesick. Kalos is nice and all, but…."

"I'm…probably going to travel with Wes again…" Rui said while playing with her hands. "After all this is over…it'll be nice…! Maybe we can find a way to help Kasumi out. If we take her to Agate Village, then maybe…."

"That would be nice." Serena nodded. "I hate seeing her in that condition…"

"And if I had to guess…Grace and Marcus would probably want to do the same thing." Rui nodded. "So when I see them next, I'll ask them what they think! I want to help her and I know they do too."

"You're a ray of sunshine." Cynthia admitted.

.

Wes encountered Diantha on her way back from the current location the International Police were using. This was actually perfect since there was something he wanted to double check on. "Ah, Diantha. Just the woman I was looking for."

Diantha tilted her head only slightly as Wes spoke to her. "Is there something I can help you with, Wes? I didn't think you actually cared much for conversation."

"Only when it's important." Wes replied. "But anyway….I was wondering how Venus' interrogation was going."

To that, Diantha rolled her eyes in annoyance. To keep her image she had to prevent herself from groaning. "…Venus is being extremely difficult. Even though she claims she's the Grand Master behind Chiper's schemes, she refuses to tell us anything. Looker is having a hard time getting anything out of her now."

"Is that so?" Wes quirked a brow. "I suppose I can't be too surprised. Venus was always…extra. How about you tell Looker that tomorrow, I will drop by and see if I can get anything out of her. I've a few question myself I want to ask her after today's fiasco."

"I'll notify him, then." Diantha nodded. "The building is on the east side of the city. It looks like a coffee shop, but you'll see that it isn't. Perhaps you can get something out of her."

"Excellent. I'll be missing the finals during my questioning, but that's the price to pay to ensure the betterment of the world." Wes nodded before waving his hand goodbye. The male then began to walk off, holding back the sinister smile on his lips.

.

Marcus was in a training room, practicing with Gallade's movements to get his mind off of what happened to Kasumi. He heard someone enter the room, but he didn't give them any attention right away. Takeba rubbed her arm awkwardly and stood behind him. "Hey…you good?"

"I'm fine." Marcus responded, signaling for Gallade to stop so he could face Takeba. "I thought you'd be with the others."

"They were just talking about the events earlier…" Takeba shrugged. "I wouldn't get any of the other stuff, since I'm really not so smart. But enough about that…are you stoked for your fight tomorrow?!" She was really trying her hardest here.

"…Yeah, a little bit." Marcus nodded. "Ash is tough…I've been really eager to fight off against Ash-Greninja too. But I know it's not going to be an easy fight."

"You'll be fine!" Takeba was giving encouragement here. "You beat Grace, who was like…the biggest threat in the tournament! If you can beat her I'm sure you can win. I want you to win…!"

"You're being extremely supportive. Not that I mind…" Marcus laughed while rubbing the back of his head.

"That's just who I am. I mean…I only got 7th place in all this. I'm clearly not the best trainer around, but I like supporting those who are. Plus, you already beat me once before." Takeba took a step forward but she ended up tripping and falling face first on the floor. "Ouch…"

"You…You're a mess, you know that…?" Marcus sighed while walking over, reaching his hand out to help her up.

"I get that all the time…" Takeba sighed while taking Marcus' hand to help her up. "…You don't think I'm stupid and useless, do you?"

Whoa, where did that come from?! "…Why are you asking me this?"

"Well…everyone always laughs and makes fun of me." Takeba sighed. "It was the same back home too…being an heiress is hard sometimes. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to put such a heavy question on you. You're just the one who doesn't seem to make fun of me as much as the others do."

"You're our friend…no need to get so worked up over it. Friends make fun of each other." Marcus was trying to ease Takeba's worries…but he didn't seem to be helping.

"I know we're all friends…just…ah, never mind. You have a battle to be focusing on." With a small smile, Takeba bowed before taking her leave.

Gallade tilted its head after that strange encounter. Marcus sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "…I don't understand girls at all."

.

Wes returned to the current Chiper HQ. He was looking over everything in preparation for tomorrow. Kasumi was still unconscious in a bed, attached to a few machines that did as Wes promised and kept her power from going haywire. Lovrina was keeping watch over Kasumi, although she didn't say a word to Wes. "Make sure you're present tomorrow." Was all Wes said to Lovrina before walking off. The next thing Wes went to check on was Shadow Mewtwo, who was soundly asleep after all the experimentation. Ein and Nascour were keeping an eye on Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo's power is ready to be released at any time." Ein reported. "I don't believe there is anything that can stand in Shadow Mewtwo's way. How about we unleash its power right now and…"

"No." Wes denied that immediately. "I want to see how this tournament ends. There's a little something I wish to do with the victor…once the ceremony is over, that is when we begin. Everyone understands their role in the plan yes?"

"Of course." Nascour nodded.

"Excellent. I have an errand to run tomorrow, but I'll be ready in well before it's time to begin." Wes nodded and walked off once again. Everything was steadily falling into place, and no one was the wiser to it…

.

.

And the day finally came. The stadium was filled with a number of people, all of them excited for the Final Round! "GOOD MORNING KALOS!" The host shouted. "We are here today for the FINAL round of the regional tournament!" The crowd cheered.

"And we're here today to report every single moment of it to you!" Malva spoke to the crowd and the audience watching at home. James was still the cameraman, while Jessie worked the boom mic, and Meowth and Wobbefett had some trouble stumbling around with the other equipment in their disguise. "The regional tournament has seen some extremely intense battles, and this final one is going to be the best of them all!"

"Two twerps duking it out…" Jessie grumbled. "Our twerp better not lose, otherwise I'll feel really bitter about this…"

"Agreed…." James and Meowth related to Jessie's statement 100%.

In the stands, the Kalos crew was just as excited as everyone else. "It's a shame Kasumi can't come and see this…" Grace sighed. "I know she would've loved to watch this coming fight."

"We're going to have quite the show. I know they'll both do great." Cynthia crossed one leg over the other. "They are both very strong strangers. This clash is going to be one for the books."

Takeba and her Ditto self were already at the ready with the cheerleader outfits and the cheering. She may have been a little upset, but that wasn't going to keep her from giving a smile as she usually did. "We're ready for the best cheer session ever…!"

Rui looked around, frowning that Wes was nowhere to be seen. "…He's gonna miss the finals? Huh…"

"He'd stink up the mood with his negative attitude, so it's probably for the best." Elizabeth shrugged.

"Can't object with you there…" Lovrina mumbled in response. She was still feeling on the fence about…well, everything now. But she was nothing if not loyal.

"And here they come now! Our two finalist!" The host pointed down to the stadium. From the right side, Ash emerged with Pikachu on his shoulder. From the left was Marcus. "Ash vs. Marcus!" The crowd cheered. The field then began to rise from the middle; the first battlefield Ash and Marcus would be doing battle in is the city field! Multiple buildings were scattered throughout a concrete street.

"So…you ready for this?" Marcus asked while holding a pokeball forward. "Because we're not going to hold back, I hope you know that."

"Of course not." Ash responded with a grin. "I wouldn't have it any other way. We're going to come at you with everything we've got, so I hope you're ready!"

"I've been ready." Marcus nodded.

"You can just feel the electricity in the air!" Said the host. "This is it folks! The beginning of the final round of the Regional Tournament! Ash vs. Marcus! Are both trainers ready!? Then call out your pokemon!"

.

.

Next Time: The Finals!


	55. Chapter 55: The Finals!

While Lumoise City was mostly vacant due to the majority of the population was at the stadium for the finals of the Regional Tournament. This allowed Ein to begin his phase of the plan, which involved the Lumoise Tower. With a small squad of Chiper Peons and Dakim, Ein infiltrated the tower. There remained the issue of Clemont's special password. "Number combination? Hm…such security won't do any good against the greatest scientist." Ein dug in his pocket for only a second, pulling a small Ariados device that he pressed against the number pad. The contraption began to walk along the pad, pressing the correct numbers and disabled the security system. The door then opened to the gym. "Perfect. Bring it all in."

Following Ein's command, the Peons began to carry in a bunch of machinery into the gym. One of the objects included was Shadow Mewtwo's tube carried in be Cravix. "There we go…everything's all set?"

"Not quite. There are still a few modifications left to be done, but I'll have them ready in time for the announcement." Ein responded while adjusting his shades. "But for now…all you have to do is wait. We're missing a few forces, but that problem will fix itself soon enough."

.

"Are both trainers ready!?" The referee asked, looking between Ash and Marcus, who both nodded in response. "Then send out your Pokémon! Marcus will have the first move."

"Noted. Rhyperior, let's go!" Marcus threw his first pokeball out into the field, calling out Rhyperior into battle as his first pokemon.

"Hawlucha, I choose you!" In time with Marcus, Ash called out Hawlucha as his first pokemon. The Luchador flexed upon being called out.

"Here it is! The first battle of the final round! Hawlucha vs. Rhyperior!" The host shouted. "Let the Finals begin!"

"Rhyperior, use Flamethrower!" Rhyperior opened its mouth, unleashing a stream of orange flames across the street while racing towards Hawlucha,

"Hawlucha, dodge it!" Hawlucha nimbly took to the air, landing on the top of a building to watch the Flamethrower fly right under it. "Now, X-Scissor!" Hawlucha pushed off the building, diving down while crossing its arms in an X formation. Rhyperior was not a fast pokemon by any means of the word, so Hawlucha's X-Scissor was a direct hit and it flew back after impact to gain some distance. "Got it…?"

"Was that it? Rhyperior looks like you just tickled it." Marcus spoke with a bit of a smug grin. "Come on, try a little harder, we know you two can do it."

"You asked for it!" Ash was responding only positively even though he was aware he was going for Marcus' bait. "High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha pushed forward with its leg pulled back, slamming its knee into Rhyperior's chest for a strong impact! Although once again, Rhyperior did not so much as flinch from the impact. "No way…!"

"Don't tell me you forgot about Solid Rock already? Thunder Punch!" Rhyperior's fist crackled in lightning and a fierce blow was landed against Hawlucha, carrying the luchador into the air before it hit a building by its back.

"Oh! And a super effective Thunder Punch hits the mark on Hawlucha!" Said the Host.

"Hawlucha, are you okay!?" Hawlucha shook its head to shake off the impact, nodding to Ash to show that it was more than okay to keep on battling. "Great! Now, Karate Chop!" Hawlucha darted forward towards Rhyperior once again, aiming swift chops all along its body. Rhyperior didn't move an inch even with the constant chops landing along its body. "We've got to break through Solid Rock somehow…"

"Hammer Arm!" Rhyperior lifted its gigantic arm up and brought it down with all of its weight. Hawlucha only just noticed this at the last second and just narrowly managed to avoid being crushed by the rock type's massive arm. The ground was completely caved in in front of Rhyperior. "Oh man. Hawlucha's a quick one isn't it? Try avoiding this one then; Rock Wrecker!" Rhyperior held one hand forward, creating a gigantic boulder that was soon unleashed at Hawlucha at a terrifying speed!

"Watch out!" Ash was worried of what the impact of this could be. Hawlucha took to the air with a quick jump, watching as the boulder exploded out from under it. What Ash wasn't prepared for was the rock to shatter and the shrapnel that followed. Multiple bits of rock flew in all directions and some of them struck Hawlucha in midair. The luchador was falling from the sky as a result from the impact, leaving it a sitting duck.

"Now we've got it. Flamethrower!" Rhyperior exhaled again, releasing a stream of flame towards the falling luchador.

"Hawlucha! Push off and use High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha was not to be outdone yet! Just before the Flamethrower did hit its mark, Hawlucha spun in the air to regain its falling momentum and reared its leg back once again, this time landing a fierce High Jump Kick across Rhyperior's face. Even Rhyperior was unable to hold its ground after such a blow and took a step back.

"Tch…nimble, too…" Marcus groaned. "Don't let it get away! Hammer Arm!" Before Hawlucha could reset the distance, Rhyperier swung its arm violently to knock Hawlucha out of the air and onto the street. "Got you this time!"

Hawlucha took a hard hit right there and struggled to stand back up. But it did, showing Ash that it was more than ready to keep fighting. "Awesome! I've got a plan. You ready?" Hawlucha nodded. "Great. Dash forward and use High Jump Kick!"

"You won't be getting much further! Thunder Punch!" Rhyperior planned to intercept Hawlucha's movements with a downward Thunder Punch. However…right as Rhyperior punched, Hawlucha took a leap onto Rhyperior's arm and kept dashing forward! "What?!"

"Go!" Hawlucha leapt forward, spinning before slamming its knee into Rhyperior's face! It then used the momentum to push off from Rhyperior and soar high into the air, well above the buildings scattered about. "Flying Press!" With an aerodynamic spin, Hawlucha's momentum sharply increased as it descended down towards Rhyperior. There was not enough time for Marcus to issue a command and Hawlucha's impact resulted in a small explosion that kicked up some smoke. When Hawlucha landed, it flexed like the proud Luchador it was. As the smoke cleared, the result was obvious.

"Rhyperior is unable to battle! Hawlucha is the victor!" Ash obtained the first KO of the battle, giving him a 6-5 lead as Rhyperior's image grayed out.

"You got it Ash!" Serena cheered.

"Clever thinking, using Rhyperior's decreasing speed as a platform to increase their own." Cynthia nodded in approval, which again, left Elizabeth brooding.

"This battle is already off to an intense start." Diantha smiled slightly.

"It's simply marvelous." Sycamore remarked.

"Thanks, Rhyperior." Marcus returned Rhyperior with a smile. "Take a good rest. Not bad Ash! I know why you've made it this far…but don't think the rest are gonna be so easy. Scizor, I choose you!" Marcus' next pokemon was a new one that he hadn't used until now! Appearing on the city field and in the second slot: Scizor!

"Oh, a new one?!" Ash's eyes gleamed with excitement. He didn't know what to expect from a Scizor, but he was ready to take it head on with Hawlucha. "You ready for more? Let's go!"

"Bullet Punch!" Scizor's claws shone brightly and with great speed it lunged forward towards Hawlucha, aiming a series of rapid punches.

"Karate Chop!" Hawlucha fought Scizor blow for blow as best it could. Bullet Punch was too fast and Hawlucha ended up receiving a blow to the stomach strong enough to knock it away, likely due to Scizor's Technician ability. Hawlucha flipped and landed in a crouched position, but Scizor's pursuit was restless and a downward swing was aimed at Hawlucha. "High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha sprang forward, evading the claw that shattered the ground while swinging its knee at Scizor's midsection. The blow was strong enough to force the bug type to leap back to gain some space.

"X-Scissor!"

Both trainers shouted at the same time. Both Scizor and Hawlucha crossed their arms into an X formation while lunging at the other. When they met in the middle and uncrossed their arms, there was a brief moment of silence where their impact caused an explosion, sending them tumbling along the city field streets.

"High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha flipped several times before landing with its feet pressed against a building. This building was used as leverage and it pushed off, flying at Scizor with its leg pulled back.

"String Shot!" Scizor recovered from the impact and held one claw forward. The claw opened up and a thick string shot forward, wrapping around Hawlucha as it dove forward and completely stopped its momentum!

"Ah!?" Ash was clearly not expecting this!

"Swing it around!" Scizor swung its claw left and right, slamming Hawlucha into two buildings before harshly tugging it forward. "Now finish it with Flash Cannon!" Hawlucha was helpless as Scizor threw it around like a ragdoll. The bug type opened its free claw as light energy began to gather within. When Hawlucha was only a few feet away, the light energy was released in the form of a silver beam that easily consumed the luchador. The impact was so strong the String Shot was broken and Hawlucha landed on its back; defeated.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle! Scizor is the victor!" And with that, things were even again at 5-5.

"Woohoo! You can do this Marcus!" Takeba cheered, right along with her Ditto. Takeba squared was still quite the sight for most people…but again, you can't blame them.

"I've never seen String Shot look so useful." Rui snickered. "How intuitive."

"Thanks, Hawlucha. You take a good rest." Ash smiled while returning Hawlucha to its pokeball. "Okay, Noivern, you're up next!" Ash's second pokemon was Noivern. In fact, he didn't even have to call it out; Noivern wanted to do this to avenge its fallen older brother figure.

"Noivern, huh? Good luck flying around with all these buildings." Marcus wasn't sure what Ash's game was, but chances were he already took the buildings into consideration when sending out Noivern. "Scizor, Flash Cannon!" Scizor opened its claw, unleashing a large beam of silver energy towards Noivern.

"Watch out!" Ash commanded. Noivern took to the skies and even with the buildings present it was easily able to maneuver around them without making any unnecessary movements. This was largely due to Noivern's echolocation, which allowed it to detect the incoming buildings well before it actually came close to them. "Supersonic!" Noivern found an ample position to Scizor's left before firing off a powerful sound wave at it.

"Watch out!" Scizor noticed Noivern, using its speed to leap onto a building just as the Supersonic hit the ground, causing it to shatter. "String Shot!" Scizor pointed its claw forward once again, releasing another sticky thread that wrapped around Noivern's ankle. "Great, now pull it in!"

"I don't think so! To the sky!" Noivern flapped its wings before soaring high into the sky, taking Scizor along with it before it even had the chance to resist. Scizor was taken for a ride above the buildings and that's when Ash decided to switch things up. "Acrobactics!" With Scizor still attached, Noivern was the one tossing Scizor around with its movements, sending it crashing into several buildings until Scizor finally let go.

"Flash Cannon!" As Scizor fell back to the ground, it opened both claws and released dual beams of steel energy at Noivern. The two beams merged midway through to create a larger one that struck Noivern, lifting it into the sky before an explosion took place.

"Ah, Noivern!" Noivern fell from the smoke before recovering and shaking off the impact Scizor made. "Nice, I knew you could take it!"

"We're not out yet. Scizor, use X-Scissor!" Scizor had wings of its own to use too and it was surprisingly quick. Scizor crossed its claws in front of its chest in an X formation while flying towards Noivern at high speeds.

"Dragon Claw!" Green scales formed along Noivern's claw and it dove forward, clashing with Scizor. The two were in a fierce stalemate that eventually ended in an explosion, sending both pokemon flying backwards. Noivern was still in the sky while Scizor had to take atop a building to stay level with the dragon. "Supersonic!" Noivern reared its head back before releasing another sound wave in Scizor's direction. This was a hit, forcing Scizor to stay grounded on the building against its will as the damage rapidly built up.

"Agh…Don't just stand there! Bullet Punch!" Scizor growled before flapping its wings, pushing through the Supersonic with the incredible speed, smashing its claw into Noivern's face to cut off the Supersonic and send it reeling backwards. "Got it!"

"Boomburst!" Noivern quickly forced its head forward, releasing an even louder screech than before. This one was much stronger that Supersonic and violently pushed Scizor through a building and back into the ground with a deafening boom. This left Scizor with swirls in its eyes to signify its defeat.

"Scizor is unable to battle! Noivern is the victor!" The referee said while pointing towards Noivern. With that, the score was now 4-5.

"Nice job Noivern. Come back for now." Ash returned Noivern and let out a small sigh. He really couldn't let up against Marcus and his team for even a second.

"Thanks, Scizor. You've done well." Marcus returned Scizor with a smile before looking at Ash. "You're really something else. No wonder Kasumi was having a hard time fighting ya…"

"Hah, you too." Ash said with a nod.

"It looks like they're both having fun down there…" Grace could at least smile at this. "I wish Kasumi could see this fight…"

"A single mistake can crush the momentum…" Clemont had an excitable grin on his face. "I know this feeling all too well…these are the kinds of battles that trainers and pokemon strive to fight…"

"Haxorus, you're up!" Marcus' third pokemon was the mighty Haxorus! The dragon type roared before firmly stomping onto the ground.

"Goodra, you're up next!" Ash called out his third pokemon; Goodra! Another dual between dragon types was about to take place!

"I know how this one works!" Marcus exclaimed. "You're not about to turn my attacks back on us. Dragon Dance!" Haxorus roared and a blackish red aura flared around its body, signifying the increase of its physical attack and speed.

Ash was undaunted by the Dragon Dance. That just meant he and Goodra were going to have to work that much harder to ensure they could topple this monster. "Dragon Pulse!" Goodra reared its head back before lurching forward, releasing a multicolored beam of energy that soared towards Haxorus.

"Incinerate!" Haxorus did the same, rearing its head back before releasing several spheres of flame towards the incoming Dragon Pulse. The two clashed together in the middle of the street, resulting in an explosion. "Dragon Claw!" Green scales formed along Haxorus' claw and with the increased speed from Dragon Dance, it reached Goodra within a heartbeat to rake its claw along its chest. The blow was so strong Goodra was thrown off its feet and landed on its stomach.

"That was strong…Ice Beam!"

"Dodge it!" Goodra lifted its head up to fire off a strong beam of ice at Haxorus. With its speed it was easily able to evade the Ice Beam, but the ground was frozen over and it slipped before regaining its footing. "Whoa…that was a close one…"

"Ice Beam!" Goodra fired off yet another ice beam. There was a problem because Haxorus' escape route was actually cut off due to the ground becoming slippery. Even so, the dragon rashly attempted to evade the Ice Beam, but it was struck and frozen in the process.

"And a super effective hit has left Haxorus frozen!" The host said.

"Incinerate!" Marcus was undeterred by the brief pause in momentum. The frozen Haxorus broke free from its icy prison and released multiple orbs of flame in its wake. The resulting pyre exploded around Goodra who had to shield itself from the multiple fiery eruptions.

"Bide!" Ash called this out just as Marcus did Incinerate. Goodra began to gather energy within its body. The resulting explosions were more than enough for Goodra to work with and the dragon unleashed a destructive beam of pure energy towards Haxorus.

"Dragon Claw!" Haxorus swung its claw forward, aiming to slice through the incoming Bide. While it was able to block off the brunt of the attack, it did slide back slightly from the force of impact. "Once more! Keep up the pressure!" With that said, Haxorus began to wildly charge towards Goodra with both claws at the ready!

"Bide!" Ash commanded. Already, the situation was turning into a do or die one! Goodra braced for impact, holding its ground as a red aura flared around its body. Haxorus was now upon Goodra, constantly slashing at it with both claws. It didn't take a genius to see that Goodra was in serious pain from all the Dragon Claws it was taking. But at the same time the red aura around its body only continued to intensify. The Bide that was potentially about to be released was going to be the most destructive thing anyone ever saw…! "Hold on…just a little more…"

"Don't let up!" Marcus shouted.

"This is gonna be close…" Elizabeth was on the edge of her seat.

While it only took a few seconds, it felt like hours watching Goodra be pummeled by Haxorus like that. But it finally managed to hold on long enough and was prepared to unleash the Bide Ash was waiting for. "There it is! Now!"

"Now's our chance; Guillotine!" Just as Goodra was preparing to unleash the most destructive attack in the battle thus far, Haxorus' pincers expanded and shone a brilliant white light. The two reared their heads forward at the same time and the result was…..a deafening silence. A wide massive beam of raw power shot forth…into the sky above as Goodra's body started to fall backwards. Haxorus slid behind Goodra in the motion of Guillotine, roaring victoriously over the defeat of a rival dragon.

"Goodra is unable to battle! Haxorus is the victor!" The score was now an even 4-4, just like that. Haxorus evened the playing field nicely in Marcus' favor.

"That's what I'm talking about! Go go go!" Takeba was really shaking it. …The pompoms.

"That Haxorus is really strong…when did little Axew grow up so fast…" Grace was just as surprised as everyone else.

"I wonder what Ash is gonna do against it…if he can't beat it soon, it's going to cause problems for him later." Kayla pointed out.

"All right, take a quick break." Marcus returned Haxorus for a small break. "We're not out of this yet. "We're only just getting started! Staraptor, it's your turn!" Marcus called forth his foruth pokemon: Staraptor. The predator pokemon let out an intimidating squawk while staying low to the ground.

"Talonflame, you're up!" Ash could see where things were going, and he was more than willing to oblige. Once Talonflame was called out, it and Staraptor acted on their own accord; weaving through the buildings to showcase their aerial mobility. The two fly side by side before diving up and u-turning away. Their force of flight was so strong a gust of wind blew through the arena, forcing the trainers to shield their eyes.

"Steel Wing!"

Both birds sharply turned, flying at each other full throttle and clashed in the middle of the city battlefield. Their collision resulted in a surprisingly potent explosion that caused the remaining buildings to topple over. These birds were insanely strong despite appearances.

"Talonflame, speed up with Flame Charge!" Talonflame allowed fire to flicker around its body for a moment before a full blaze ignited around it. This gave Talonflame a noticeable speed boost as it tracked down its prey: Staraptor, with full intent to crash into it.

"Watch out!" Staraptor tried to shake Talonflame off, but it was impossible with the speed boost. Talonflame slammed into Staraptor's side for a direct hit. The predator pokemon lost its flight for a second before regaining all mobility and trailed behind Talonflame. "Payback time. Quick Attack!" Staraptor suddenly sped forward, crashing into Talonflame's back to push it off its flight path and send it spiraling helplessly in the air.

"Talonflame! Recover and use Aerial Ace!"

"Don't let it go so easy! Close Combat!"

Staraptor and Talonflame began to clash in the air. Several sparks flashed from their collisions as they ascended higher and higher into the sky. Talonflame rammed its beak into Staraptor's chest to push it back, but then Staraptor threw its talons forward rapidly to kick at Talonflame's body. The risk of Close Combat was that it lowered defenses, but it was great at putting Talonflame on edge in a fierce situation such as this. Staraptor then gripped onto Talonflame's wings with its talons, completely halting all momentum Talonflame had.

"What?!" Ash was not prepared for a situation like this to take place.

"Now we've got you. Throw it to the ground and use Brave Bird!" Staraptor spun around before hurling Talonflame right towards the ruined ground. Talonflame was in a helpless spiral. Staraptor then tucked in its wings and dove down as a fierce, fiery blue aura cloaked around its body. Staraptor collided into Talonflame and crushed the opposing avian into the ground with force, flying off back into the air. Even after such impact, Staraptor suffered some serious recoil as a result. "Did we get it…?"

The smoke cleared…and Talonflame was still standing! Albeit it was clearly injured from the Close Combat/Brave Bird combo, but that tenacious avian was not going to fall to a rival just yet! "I knew you'd be okay! Now use Flame Charge one more time!" Talonflame fought through the pain and cloaked itself in flame once again before lifting off the air to fly at Staraptor. "And Steel Wing!" Talonflame began to spin around rapidly in a corkscrew motion. With the flames wrapped around its body it quickly took the appearance of a flaming drill that slammed right into Starpator's midsection! Staraptor let out a fierce caw and began to push Staraptor even higher into the against its will.

"Whoa…! Staraptor, Close Combat out of there!" It was all Marcus could think to do against such a fierce attack. Staraptor used its wings to push itself away from Talonflame's attack and regain its own flight in the process. "Too close. Clever, but we're going to be ending this now! Brave Bird!"

"I couldn't agree more! Brave Bird!"

Both Staraptor and Talonflame performed a somersault before soaring towards one another headfirst. The blue auras around their bodies intensified at the last second before they slammed into one another in the sky, creating a large cloud of smoke due to the force surrounding them. The smoke didn't even have a chance to clear before Talonflame fell from cloud and on its back, defeated.

"Talonflame is unable to battle! Staraptor is the winner!" Now…the score was 4-3! Once Ash returned Talonflame, the ruined city field went down to be replaced.

"Amazing! After a close battle, Staraptor emerged victorious!" Said the host. Soon after he spoke, the forest field appeared once again for the final setting of the Regional Tournament. "The forest is going to be the final field! Will Ash be able to turn things around, or is this the start of Marcus' winning momentum!?"

"Wow…I would've thought a clash like that would be a tie…" Rui tilted her head.

"Upon first glance, Talonflame and Staraptor are even." Cynthia explained. "But Staraptor's ability: Intimidate is what gives it the advantage. I'm sure Ash knew it, but Talonflame's attack was lowered the moment it stepped up to battle. That was the reason Staraptor was able to come out on top."

"It sounds like he was planning for Staraptor to meet Talonflame in battle to have that very advantage…" Lovrina deduced. "Not bad…he's pretty smart. Ash is unpredictable with the stuff he does half the time…and if you can't stop it, you can at least decrease its efficiency."

"We're down, but that doesn't matter, right buddy?" Ash glanced at Pikachu. The two shared a nod and Pikachu was up to bat as Ash's fifth Pokémon!

"Pikachu…." Marcus grinned. He knew Pikachu was just as potent a threat as everything he'd face thus far in this tournament. Staraptor wasn't going to back down and Marcus was going to fulfill his Pokémon's wish to battle. "Ready when you are."

"Into the trees!" Ash already an idea on what to do against Staraptor. Pikachu leapt into the trees, using them to maneuver how it pleased while staying out of Staraptor's immediate line of sight.

"Using the trees as cover huh…?" Marcus glanced around, looking for any movements within the trees and listened for the rustling of the leaves.

"Now! Iron Tail!" Pikachu sprang from the trees to Staraptor's left, already whipping its tail backwards in preparation to strike Staraptor.

"Quick Attack!" Just before Pikachu could land its Iron Tail, Staraptor took to the sky to allow Pikachu to strike nothing but the ground. Staraptor then dove forward, slamming its body into Pikachu to send it sliding back across the ground. "It's gonna take more than that to bring us down!"

"Quick Attack!" Fight fire with fire. Pikachu quickly darted forward in a zig zag motion before leaping headfirst, slamming its skull into Staraptor's chest, sending it into the air slightly.

"We're not going down without a fight! Brave Bird!" Staraptor recovered from the Quick Attack, now diving down at Pikachu to a dangerously low altitude, slamming its body into the mouse for a fierce impact. Pikachu let out a cry while tumbling along the ground before catching itself; meanwhile, Staraptor suffered the recoil from impact.

"Back into the trees!" Pikachu grumbled before pushing off into the trees once again.

"Again? Into the air! It won't get the drop on us." Staraptor nodded and took to the sky…just as Ash predicted.

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu rose from the trees in time with Staraptor, remaining level with it before it could get too far. The mouse then unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning at the airborne Staraptor, frying the bird with a direct hit! Pikachu and Staraptor landed, but only Pikachu remained standing.

"Staraptor is unable to battle! Pikachu is the victor!" Now the score was an even 3-3…

"This battle is so close…" Clemont was practically shaking from excitement! He wanted Ash to win, that was a fact…but the fact the battle was neck and neck only made it that much more thrilling!

"They're even…" Grace mumbled.

"Just three more to go…" Takeba was on the edge of the railing. Luckily she had mind enough not to lean over too far and fall.

"I wonder which way this battle will turn…" Diantha was thinking aloud. Both Ash and Marcus showed no signs of backing down to the other, and their pokemon felt the exact same way.

"We won't know until the end, my dear." Sycamore replied. "This is a Pokémon Battle right here."

"Thanks, Staraptor…you put in work." Marcus returned Staraptor with a smile before looking at Ash. "…Heh…haha…you're really tough. This is nothing like fighting Kasumi or Grace…Haxorus, you're up again!" Marcus called out Haxorus once more. The dragon type let out a roar while glaring at Pikachu.

"You're good too. This is one of the best battles I've had…!" Ash admitted with a smile. There was a hint of confident mixed in with his expression. It reflected on Pikachu too as sparks of lightning danced from its red cheeks. "If you're going to raise the bar…then we are too! Quick Attack!" Pikachu didn't waste any time and darted forward quickly, cutting across the field before slamming its head into Haxorus' gut. Even Haxorus was reeling from the impact and Pikachu used this momentum to push off into the air. "Thunderbolt!"

"Pika….CHUUU!" Pikachu fired off another high voltage bolt of lightning at Haxorus! This one was a direct hit and Haxorus cried out, struggling to hold its stance before briefly falling to a knee. The damage from Goodra was still prevalent!

"A fierce Quick Attack to Thunderbolt has left Haxorus reeling….!" The host said with widened eyes.

"Now Iron Tail!" Pikachu began to fall from the sky while putting all of its momentum into its tail for a decisive blow!

"That's far enough! Dragon Claw!" Almost as if it took no damage, Haxorus stood right back up while pulling its arm back, allowing green scales to coat it. Just as Pikachu neared, Haxorus swung to intercept it!

The final battle of the Regional Tournament rages on! Marcus and Ash are locked in a fierce dual with only 3 pokemon remaining on both sides! Which way will the goddess of victory smile? Will it be Marcus? Will it be Ash?! There's only one way to find out…!

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Meanwhile…at the International Police facility in the city…Wes stepped inside. He gave a slight nod to Looker, who was expecting his presence since Diantha told him of it earlier. "Ah, Wes…you're here to help us get information out of Venus, right? Your assistance is greatly appreciated. She's shut tighter than a Cloyster and refuses to share any information with us."

"Ah yes…" Wes nodded slowly. "Diantha told me the same thing. I didn't expect her to give you much information to work with…she fulfilled her role quite nicely…And now it's time to remove the pesky thorns in my side." There was a sinister grin growing on Wes' face that Looker only noticed when it was too late. Before anyone could react…Wes went back to one of his favorite works of art: explosions. Just like with Team Snagem's base in the Orre Region. There was a large explosion within the facility that no one could've seen coming beforehand. The results of this explosion? Many permanently downed officers with their eyes either opened or closed in their last few seconds…and Looker was among them with his eyes closed, not moving an inch.

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To be continued….


	56. Chapter 56: Part 3: End

White noise. That was all Looker heard as his eyes slowly opened. Unfortunately for him, he was still reeling from the surprise explosion Wes dropped on the facility so his vision was incredibly blurry and he could barely make anything out. All he could see were a few figures standing around; presumably Wes and a few others. Looker couldn't tell. He was having a hard enough time staying conscious as it is. All he knew was that he had to warn Cynthia and Diantha before it was too late…but before he could even start crawling, the darkness swallowed his consciousness once again…

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"…." Scott tilted his head while staring off at the sky. "That was…odd?"

"Something wrong?" Cynthia asked. For some reason, even though she didn't have any powers like Scott she had the same feeling he probably had.

"…No, it's nothing." Scott shook his head.

"Dragon Claw!" Haxorus reared its arm back as Pikachu descended with Iron Tail. The clash was a no contest; Haxorus swatted Pikachu out of the air like a Cuitefly and sent it tumbling into the ground violently. _"If we beat Pikachu, the momentum here is_ ours _!"_

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shook off the impact, telling Ash that it was more than okay to keep fighting. " _If we beat Haxorus here, then the momentum will be ours…"_ Both trainers had similar thoughts in their head at this point. The only issue now was which one was going to fulfill their own requirements. "Great! Thunderbolt!"

"Dragon Dance!" Haxorus roared out, a blackish-red aura swirling around its body to increase its speed and strength. This was perfect as it used its newfound speed to evade the Thunderbolt, nearly appearing as a blur before Pikachu. "Don't let it get away!"

Pikachu tried to move, but every direction it went, Haxorus was standing right in front of it! "Quick Attack! Get out of there!" Pikachu nodded, darting off in one direction to try and shake Haxorus, but of course it was right in front of it once again! "Ah!"

"Dragon Claw!" Haxoryus dragged its claw across the ground before swinging it upwards. The increase in momentum at the last second caused it to send Pikachu flying into the air against its will with a pained cry. "Incinerate!" Haxorus then lifted its head into the sky, releasing multiple spheres of flame that were set to explode in a vicious pyre in the sky.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu performed a flip in the air to regain its balance while whipping its tail back at the same time. Pikachu then began to smack the spheres of flame with its tail, sending them rocketing back towards Haxorus. The Dragon brought its arms forward to shield itself from the fiery explosions. Pikachu then landed on the ground, finally able to have a moment of rest. "Let's keep up the pressure! Back into the trees!" Pikachu nodded, hopping back into the trees.

"You're not going to be able to keep using each field as you like, you know." Marcus spoke smugly. "Guillotine!" Haxorus' pincers enlarged to dangerous levels and it began to run to each and every tree, beginning to cut them down one after another! It was easy to see what Marcus was doing here and Pikachu was quickly running out of leg room to work with as the trees began to topple over. Eventually Pikachu was flushed out once the last tree fell and Haxorus lunged at it with intent to finish it here.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu never reacted so fast in its entire battle carrier. Pikachu's tail was the only thing that prevented it from being wiped out in one hit by the dangerous Guillotine. It managed to stall long enough for the effects of Guillotine to wear off, so Haxorus just tossed Pikachu away and it landed on a fallen tree. Ash scoped out the field now and…it was just fallen trees everywhere that obscured a clear path.

"Don't relax just yet, we're only getting started! Incinerate!" Marcus grinned at his next plan. Haxorus' ensuing pyre set all the trees ablaze! Haxorus effectively started a forest fire with Pikachu right in the middle of it!

"So that was his plan from the beginning!" Takeba's eyes gleamed with some admiration. "Although I don't exactly condone forest fires…"

"You know what condone means?" Elizabeth teased.

"…I've got mixed feelings about this…" James admitted while Ash was starting to lose his momentum on this fight. "Watching Pikachu get beaten like this…" Jessie and Meowth cut him some glares and he waved his hand rapidly. "N-No…! I mean, it's always given us so much trouble and…!"

"We've seen that Pikachu make it through worse." Jessie responded while looking off to the side.

"Yeah…there's no way it would lose to that lizard." Meowth replied. Jame's understood the gist of their replies and couldn't help but grin.

"Impressive…!" Ash admitted. He was in a bad spot now, but that never stopped him from pushing forward. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu nodded and began to sprint forward, avoiding the spots that were ablaze as best it could before lunging at Haxorus.

"Dragon Claw!" Due to Pikachu's current disadvantage, it was easy for Haxorus to predict where Pikachu was going next before swatting it out of the air with its claw. Pikachu landed on a tree, grimacing as the battle damage from Staraptor and now Haxorus began to add up.

"Agh…Pikachu, Electroball!" Pikachu gathered electricity within its tail in the shape of an orb, which it flung at Haxorus.

"Dragon Claw!" Haxorus prepared to slice the Electro Ball in half but…sparks appeared around its body and it was unable to move! The pause in movement made Marcus' eyes widened as the Electro Ball was a direct hit, and Haxorus fell to a knee. "What happened?!"

"Pikachu's Static." Clemont explained. "After direct contact with Pikachu, there's a chance the foe will be paralyzed."

"Do you think he was banking on that to happen…?" Kayla questioned.

"Who knows." Lore shrugged.

"Now's our chance! Pikachu on its back!" Pikachu nodded while zipping across the burning landscape. It leapt high into the air before latching tightly onto Haxorus' back where its arms couldn't reach it. "Thunderbolt!" There was no range closer than right here. Pikachu cried out before released a powerful Thunderbolt from Haxorus' back, a pillar of lightning rising into the sky from the ferocity of it! Pikachu was not going to let up either and Haxorus cried out while trying to shake it off!

"And Haxorus is unable to shake Pikachu off from this vicious Thunderbolt!" The host said.

"With those small arms, there's no way it can shake it off…" Grace muttered.

Pikachu was not letting up despite Haxorus' violent thrashing. Pikachu held on for dear life! "Haxorus! Get Pikachu off you right now!" Haxorus finally complied to its trainers wishes and hurled its own body forward to violently it nearly fell over, but finally Pikachu was flung off.

"Now! Iron Tail!" Pikachu spun around in the air, putting all of its momentum into its tail. With a battle cry Pikachu smashed its tail down onto Haxorus' skull, crushing the dragon into the ground for the decisive blow Ash needed!

"Haxorus is unable to battle! Pikachu is the victor!" After a hard fought battle, Pikachu managed to defeat Haxorus and leave the score 2-3!

"He beat it!" Serena let out a heavy sigh of relief. That fight alone was too tense for her to handle.

"Thanks Haxorus. You've done well, rest up." Marcus returned Haxorus with a grin. "Pikachu is really something else…"

"Thanks!" Ash called Pikachu back for the time being. "Noivern, you're up again!" Returning for its time in the spotlight was Noivern, who made sure to stay flying above the currently burning forest.

"Dewott, let's go!" Everyone's favorite Dewott appeared on the stage once again as Marcus' fifth slot. With only 2 pokemon left to Ash's 3, he was going to have to work hard to make up for the momentum he lost.

"Supersonic!" Noivern didn't waste any time releasing a powerful soundwave towards Dewott from up above!

"Aqua Jet!" Water exploded around Dewott and carried it off into the sky. Dewott's movements were akin to that of a torpedo, speeding through the sky before circling around Noivern to slam into its back, pushing it down towards the burning forest. Although the fire didn't last long as Dewott's Aqua Jet extinguished the flames while damage Noivern simultaneously. Dewott retreated back to one side while preparing for Noivern's counter.

Noivern shook its head from the damage of the Aqua Jet. "Dragon Claw!" Noivern flapped its wings and flew forward while having both claws at the ready.

"Razor Shell!" Dewott reached for the scallops on its thigh, taking only a second to draw them and form an aquamarine blade from the shells. Dewott swung both blades forward, clashing with Noivern's Dragon Claw. The two were in a deadlock, both glaring at one another as they tried to overpower.

"Boomburst!"

"Ice Beam!"

Such close range was not idea for the incoming clash. While Dewott unleashed an Ice Beam, Noivern's ears released the powerful, earth shattering sound wave known as Boomburst. The two clashed not even a foot away from each other and the resulting energies ended with an explosion so strong both parties were thrown back! Dewott had to dig its scallops into the ground to prevent from losing any more ground while Noivern was tossed into the air before recovering.

"Ice Beam again!" Dewott lifted its head up at the sky, firing nonstop Ice Beams in rapid fire at the airborne Noivern.

"Acrobatics!" Noivern began to flip around nimbly in the air, gaining momentum while dodging the incoming Ice Beams. It grew closer and closer to Dewott until contact was finally made contact and sent the otter tumbling along the ground before recovering.

"Night Slash!" Dewott brandished its blades once again and lunged forward before Noivern could get too far, slashing the dragon across the chest to send it flying backwards. "Got you!" Noivern staggered from the blow but it wasn't done just yet!

"Boomburst!" Noivern unleashed another powerful soundwave at Dewott! Any remaining trees were reduced to nothing but split due to the force of the Boomburst!

"Aqua Jet!" Dewott coated itself in water once again and sped into the air to avoid the Boomburst. "And Ice Beam!" As Dewott fell, it used Ice Beam in the Aqua Jet, turning itself into a gigantic frozen spear that rapidly fell towards Noivern! There wasn't enough time for Noivern to dodge and it was nailed by the ice/water combination! When the smoke from impact cleared, Noivern was down.

"Noivern is unable to battle! Dewott is the victor!" Now the score was the even 2-2…

"Call that a little payback for Talonflame's trick earlier." Marcus spoke while smugly using his index finger to rub under his nose.

"Not bad…!" Ash admitted while returning Noivern. "Thanks Noivern, you deserve a good rest. Pikachu, you're up again!" Pikachu nodded and hopped onto the field with excited sparks dancing around its cheeks.

"They both only have two pokemon left…it can really go either way…" Rui muttered.

"Quick Attack!" With the field now barren Pikachu had full reign to dash however it pleased!

"Ice Beam!" Dewott's target was not Pikachu, but rather the ground it darted across. The Ice Beam instantly froze the once charred ground, turning it into a flat, slippery field that Pikachu had trouble running across. It was Blissey vs. Pikachu all over again! "Fury Cutter!" Dewott brandished its scallop blades once again and pushed forward, slashing across Pikachu's chest to send it flying backwards.

Pikachu landed on its stomach, groaning before standing back up. "Iron Tail on the ice!" Pikachu jumped into the air before slamming its tail down on the ice, creating some noticeably large chunks from the impact. Pikachu then began to swing its tail around, shooting these chunks at Dewott in a rapid fire motion.

"Fury Cutter!" Marcus repeated. The continuous use of Fury Cutter increased the move's strength. Dewott began to slash through the chunks of ice coming at it! But, while they were busy with that, they didn't notice Pikachu coming! With a Quick Attack, Pikachu rammed its skull into Dewott's chest to send it stumbling backwards. "Oi! Don't let up!" And Dewott did just that, relentlessly slashing at Pikachu with the increasingly powerful Fury Cutter. Pikachu was on the defensive, leaping from side to side to avoid Dewott's slashes. Unfortunately it wasn't able to dodge forever and a maximum powered Fury Cutter struck it clean along its side, sending it tumbling along the ground before coming to a halt!

"Pikachu, are you okay!?" Pikachu was definitely hurting. Haxorus did a number on it, and the damage from Staraptor before was noticeable. Added onto what Dewott had done and Pikachu wasn't going to be taking any more clean hits. "Just hold on for a little longer, I've got a plan…use Quick Attack to circle around it!" Pikachu nodded, darting forward once more, only this time it used its speed to circle around Dewott to keep it guessing!

"Don't let your guard down!" Marcus warned Dewott.

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu began to discharge lightning from its body…but not in the way one would expect. Due to Pikachu's high speed, it actually started to create a little twister of lightning with Dewott at the eye of the storm!

"Oh crap…!" Yeah, Marcus wasn't expecting Ash's insanity to go this far! The makeshift twister of lightning caught Dewott and began to shock the otter, leaving it helpless! "Dewott!"

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu then came to a sliding halt, swinging its tail across Dewott's face to knock it on its back! The Thunderbolt/Iron Tail combination worked wonders and Dewott was slowly picking itself up. Even after that the water type wasn't going to yield so easily! "It's still up! That's a strong Dewott all right…Iron Tail again!" Pikachu nodded, beginning to dash towards Dewott.

There was one thing Ash failed to notice when Dewott stood up: the blue aura radiating around the otter. After that Thunderbolt combo, it pushed Dewott into Torrent range! "Now you've gone and done it. Aqua Jet!" Water once again exploded around Dewott; unlike before the volume was much larger! Dewott sped towards Pikachu, easily overpowering its attempt at Iron Tail while sending it flying backwards. It didn't stop there. Dewott continued to ram into Pikachu at high speeds, tossing the mouse around like it was its own ragdoll!

"That's Torrent all right…" Said Takeba. "Go Dewott! Kick Pikachu's butt~!"

Dewott landed on the ground as Pikachu struggled to get up. Marcus was certain this would be the end for Pikachu right now, and the push he needed would come tenfold! "Razor Shell!"

"…Now, Quick Attack and Iron Tail!" Pikachu was going to push no matter what. Dashing forward, Pikachu allowed its tail to shine brightly as it closed the gap between Dewott, who was preparing to brandish both of its scallops once again. The second Dewott pulled forth both scallops was the second Pikachu closed the distance, sliding to a halt while swinging its tail forward. Pikachu's target was not Dewott itself but rather….its arms! Pikachu's tail hit Dewott's arm, causing it to lose the scallop it was holding.

"WHAT?!"

Pikachu followed up again, carrying its momentum to smack Dewott's other hand to force it to release that scallop before swinging a third time to smack Dewott in the face to send it flying on its back. Once Dewott landed, it began to panic and released both of its prized scallops were too far away from each other. This was precisely the opening Ash needed to finish Dewott off. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Pikachu hopped into the air as lightning gathered within its body. It only took a second for the potent bolt of lightning to shock the unprepared Dewott! A small explosion occurred from impact and when it cleared, Dewott was down.

"Dewott is unable to battle! Pikachu is the victor!" The ref pointed to Ash and Pikachu. The score was now 1-2..!

"What the heck was that!?" Marcus asked.

"Heh…" Ash felt pretty proud of this one. "I've been watching Dewott fight for a while now. Whenever it used a move that required the use of its scallops, I noticed that it always took roughly a second for it to draw, and then prepare the attack. In that short time frame it's vulnerable to attack. So I thought if I hit its arms before it could secure the scallops, they should fly away! I had an Oshawott myself once, so I've gotten the timing down pretty well."

…There was no way. For Ash to be able to abuse such a small time frame to his advantage. "…You're insane…" Marcus mumbled. If Ash was even a split second late on his command and Pikachu with the execution, that would've been the end of Pikachu right there…but he knew that.

"What is this guy, a bag of tricks or something!?" Lovrina questioned. She was surprised that Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie weren't freaking out over this either. But then again, they've travelled with Ash the longest so they were probably used to his unorthodox ploys.

Marcus returned Dewott with a smile. "Looks like we've still got a long way to go…but this battle isn't over yet. Gallade, it's finally time!" Marcus was on his last pokemon. Gallade appeared on the battlefield with its arms crossed.

"Ah, Gallade. I've been waiting for this…" Ash grinned and Pikachu did as well.

"Sorry for the wait, but we'll make it worth your while. Come." Marcus grinned.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu darted forward across the field, wasting no time in pushing forward to smash against Gallade. Gallade instinctively blocked Pikachu's attempt and pushed the mouse into the air! "Oh yeah? Iron Tail!" Pikachu shifted all of its momentum into its tail and brought it down onto Gallade!

"Block it!" Gallade crossed its arms in an X formation as Pikachu's tail slammed down on it. The impact was enough to cause a minor shockwave and the two were in a deadlock. It didn't take long for Gallade to once again push Pikachu backwards with its own raw strength!

Pikachu flipped while in the air and Ash didn't miss a beat. "Electro Ball!" Pikachu gathered electricity on its tail once again, swinging its forward to hurl the sphere at Gallade.

"Psycho Cut!" Gallade drew its arm back as a rainbow use surrounded the blade. A horizontal slice was delivered, sending a blade forward that cut through the Electro Ball and struck Pikachu, exploding on impact. Pikachu started to fall out of the sky from the impact but Marcus wasn't going to allow them to escape so easily. "Vacuum Wave!" Gallade held its arm out, generating a powerful cyclone that started to drag the helpless Pikachu forward! The priority of the move was astounding, and Gallade pushed forward to meet with Pikachu halfway. The knight slammed its fist into Pikachu's stomach to drag it across the ground. When Gallade let up, Pikachu was finally down for the count.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Gallade is the victor!" Now with Pikachu down, the score was finally 1-1.

Ash walked into the field to pick up Pikachu, smiling at his partner. "Thanks Pikachu. You've done an amazing job this entire tournament. Now take a good rest and leave it to us." Once returning to his side, he placed Pikachu down and held out his last Pokeball. "I hope you're ready for this. Greninja, I choose you!"

"This is the moment we've all been waiting for…" Serena could barely speak. The tension in the air was too much!

"Greninja! It's about time you've showed up. We weren't about to go down without fighting you." Marcus grinned. "I hope you two are ready because this is where it ends!"

"We know." Ash responded. "Only one of us is coming out on top. Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Greninja reached to the marks on its thigh, forming two small shuriken that soared across the field towards Gallade.

"Night Slash!" Gallade's arms turned a violet hue and it dashed forward, cleaving through the Water Shuriken with ease! The shurikens exploded behind Gallade and it gave Greninja a smug grin. "Let's go!" Gallade nodded and pushed forward once again with the violet hue around its arms.

"Cut!" Greninja drew a clear blade from its thigh and met Gallade halfway. The two entered fierce close combat with their respective swords; the shinobi vs the knight! Their fighting styles were vastly different, but at the same time they were unable to land a hit on each other and continued to clash. Eventually they drew away to regain their space. "Double Team!" Greninja hopped into the air, taking a stance as multiple illusory copies of itself began to appear in the air.

"Psycho Cut! Take them all down!" Gallade drew its arm back, allowing the similar rainbow hue to surround its blade. The knight then began to spin, sending multiple crescent slashes at Greninja and its copies. It wasn't long before the real Greninja was flushed out. "There! Vacuum wave!" Gallade extended its arm forward to generate another wind tunnel to pull Greninja in and lunged forward to take advantage of its disposition.

"Aerial Ace!" Greninja didn't fight the wind tunnel and instead rode with it! Its leg shone brightly and it used this newfound momentum to clash with Gallade's fist! The two remained in another stalemate before hopping away from one another.

"This battle is too intense! I can feel the tension in the air and I've never seen such sparks fly before!" The host was enjoying this far too much!

"Hah…" Marcus chuckled quietly. _"So this is what it's like fighting Ash a full strength. I wonder if this is how Kasumi would've felt if she had the chance to go all out the way she wanted too…but unfortunately she couldn't. It's not like I hate you for what happened, I know it's not your fault and I know you probably feel bad for it. A fight like this ignites my battle spirit…But I did make a promise to Grace and Takeba that I would win this…so I have to surpass you and your insanity no matter what…! I don't want to lose to anyone else anymore!"_

"Heh…" Ash must've felt the same way. This battle was too intense not to smile. _"You've gotten a lot stronger during the course of this tournament, Marcus. I'm glad we're able to fight now, it's been exhilarating! But…Kasumi wanted me to hold nothing back. That was my promise to her, and I'm not going hold back! We're going to give you a fight to remember and win!"_ Ash nodded to himself and glanced at Greninja. "Greninja! It's time to go all out!" Greninja's eyes shone a bright red as it and Ash began to get in sync once again! Water exploded around Greninja before shrinking down and taking the shape of a large Shuriken on its back. Ash-Greninja was here once again!

"Hah…It's that time. We're not going to lose! Gallade!" Marcus revealed the Keystone attached to his wrist, pressing the stone to activate with Gallade's Mega stone. "Respond to my heart and surpass evolution! Mega Evolve!" Lines of light began to link together from the Keystone and Mega Stone. Gallade's form began to shift and it wasn't long before Mega Gallade was on the field!

"Ahhh!" Team Rocket was practically squealing from the arrival of Ash-Greninja.

"This is it folks! The last round!" Said the overly excited host.

It was clear both sides saw the other as a wall they had to overcome and that climb started now! "Greninja; dash forward and use Double Team!" Greninja began to sprint forward across the field, creating multiple copies of itself in the process.

"Vacuum Wave!" Gallade pushed its bladed arm forward, creating another vortex that quickly wiped out the false Greninjas. This created the opening Ash needed to get in close and strike!

"Aerial Ace!"

"Close Combat!"

Greninja leapt from the smoke created of its destroyed copies, throwing its fist forward at Gallade, only to meet with the opposition's fist! After the clash, Gallade pulled its leg back and aimed a swift kick at Greninja's side. Greninja ducked and aimed a rising uppercut at Gallde's chin. This was a direct hit and allowed Greninja to follow up with a kick to Gallade's chest to push it back. Gallade didn't rest for a second and immediately pursed Greninja, aiming a powerful punch to its chest to send it skidding backwards. Of course, Ash winced in pain as a result.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja gripped the shuriken on its back and hurled it forward at a violent velocity.

"Psycho Cut!" Gallade swung its scythed arm forward to send a kinetic blade of energy forward. The two attacks sliced through one another and exploded in the center of the field, obscuring everything from sight. "Vacuum Wave!" Gallade punched the ground instead this time. For a moment, absolutely nothing happened. But then a vortex shattered the ground under Greninja's feet and lifted it high into the air!

"Greninja, use Cut!" Greninja fought its way out of the dispersing vortex and dove forward while brandishing two kunai from its thigh.

"Night Slash!"

Gallade's blades sharpened with a fierce violet hue before it dove forward to clash with Greninja. The two met in the middle and began swinging their blades fiercely in a deadlocked show of swordsmanship. Neither got the leg up on the other, constantly clashing their blades as sparks began to fly. Neither side was intending on giving up nor did they remain in the same location before Greninja decided to leap back and let Gallade slice nothing but the air.

"Double Team!" As before multiple copies of Greninja appeared around Gallade. "Water Shuriken!" This was the same trick he pulled against Kasumi towards the end. Each Greninja copy had a Water Shuriken ready and they all hurled what they had at Gallade! Only one was truly real, but the effect was still a massive pillar of water erupting on Gallade's location to shield it from view.

"Close Combat!" The damaged Gallade sprinted from the smoke and was upon Greninja almost in an instant! The first punch was to its stomach which knocked the wind out of it. Gallade then followed up with a series of swift kicks and the final roundhouse to knock Greninja on its back. Ash was really feeling after that one and let out an audible groan of pain. "Now, Psycho Cut on the ground!" Gallade drew its kinetic blades once again, only this time it stabbed them into the ground. This caused kinetic energy to surge through the ground before erupting in a fierce wave that sliced through the field while racing towards Greninja.

"Block it with your Shuriken!" Greninja grabbed the Shuriken on its back and stabbed it into the ground. This caused a surge of water to cut across the ground and clash with the Psycho Cut. The two energies colliding resulted in a large explosion that covered the field in thin smoke. "Aerial Ace!" Fighting in cover was Greninja's strong suit. With swift, silent movements Greninja reached the confused Gallade and slammed its fist into tis stomach as revenge. Once Gallade lurched over, a series of high speed kicks were aimed at its body before Greninja finished with a fierce axe kick to Gallade's skull, driving it into the ground before leaping away!

"Gallade…!" Marcus was clearly worried about Gallade. But Gallade wasn't going to give in yet and slowly stood back up. "I knew you could stand back up…!"

"They're both really going all out…" Sycamore was smiling. "This is a battle."

"I agree." Diantha smiled and nodded. Still…there was something tugging at the back of her head. Even while all seemed well and good in the stadium, she was worried…

"Marcus…" Grace brought her hand to her chest.

"I told you before that I wasn't going to lose anymore right! And we're not going to! Close Combat!" Gallade nodded and pushed forward with intensity this time!

"We're not going to lose either! Aerial Ace!"

Greninja darted forward to meet with Gallade in the middle where an exchange of blows occurred! Greninja and Gallade met each other blow for blow, punch for punch, kick for kick! Gallade aimed a sweep kick at Greninja's legs to trip it up, but Greninja recovered by spinning around on its back, pushing off to aim an axe kick at Gallade's skull. Gallade blocked the strike and forced Greninja to leap backwards. Gallade pursued and aimed a punch to Greninja's face, but the shinobi swayed to the side, carrying its momentum into its leg to send it against the back of Gallade's head. Gallade stumbled forward but recovered fast. The knight brought its own leg forward to smash against Greninja's face, making it recoil along with Ash. Both blades were raced in a downward motion as Grenijna swung both fists forward. The two clashed once again in another stalemate before leaping backwards to gain suitable space away from one another.

"Night Slash!"

"Water Shuriken!"

This time, Gallade's assault with Night Slash as swiftly as possible! Gallade aimed to overpower Greninja as it drew its Water Shuriken to block the Night Slashes. Even against Gallade's swift movements, Greninja was able to effectively block the slashes! It was of course unseen before, but it was working! Gallade was focused solely on overpowering Greninja while Greninja focused on defense, waiting for the opening it needed to strike!

"He's using Water Shuriken to block!?" Takeba leaned forward a little more. "I didn't know you could use it like that!"

"He's been very resourceful with its Shuriken usage…" Cynthia admitted. "But will it be enough here…?"

Greninja was backing up. At first glance it looked like Gallade was slowly gaining the advantage it needed against Greninja. Gallade threw one punch and that was the time Greninja forced the opening it needed by swinging the shuriken to parry the fist! That was enough to throw Gallade off balance and make it stagger! "NOW!" Greninja threw the shurkien forward, letting it rip as it struck Gallade and made it stumble backwards. "We're not finished yet! Are you ready for more!?" Ash lifted his hand up along with Greninja to create another Water Shuriken; a fierce vortex of water with an orange outline flared. The water erupted around Greninja and the Water Shuriken it held was a large, vibrant orange disc! Without any command, Greninja hurled the disc at Gallade!

"What…" Marcus' eyes widened at the Water Shuriken before them. "We're not going down yet! Gallade; Night Slash and Close Combat!" Gallade lifted its arms into the air; just like before, the vibrant violet hue sparkled off of them as the blades merged and expanded to resemble Excalibur. Gallade held the gigantic sword high above the sky before swinging it down at Greninja just as the Water Shuriken flew at it! The two attacks collided against their targets simultaneously, resulting in a cloud of smoke that shielded both pokemon from view. Nearly everyone stood up as they awaited the results….

All was silent as the smoke cleared. Both Gallade and Greninja stood tall, neither of them budging an inch. Greninja started to fall…to a knee before it caught itself. As for Gallade….it toppled over onto its side, reverting to normal with swirls in its eyes.

"Gallade is unable to battle! Therefore, Ash is the victor!" Ash's image appeared on the big screen as the winner! The crowd then went wild with screams and cheers!

"And there you have it! Ash is the victor of the Regional Tournament!" And…the host finally passed out from exhaustion. Watching such an intense fight was really hard word.

"Simply marvelous." Sycamore applauded such a wonderful battle. "I could not have asked for a better final battle."

"HE WON!" Serena grabbed the nearest person, Lovrina, and began to squeeze the life out of her due to her own excitement.

"A-Ack…! Can't…breathe…" Lovrina tried to pry Serena off of her, but that girl had an iron grip!

"Aw…" Takeba sighed heavily, feeling as though her cheering was ineffective at the end. "That was amazing though!"

"Ash won! Ash won!" Bonnie jumped up and down in her seat.

"As I predicted…" Scott chuckled quietly to himself.

"I wish Wes was here to see this…" Rui mumbled. Grace felt the exact same way about Kasumi.

"Haha…" Marcus fell to his rear and laughed. "Hahaha…I lost! But that was great!" He then got up and went over to help Gallade. "You did great Gallade!"

"…" Gallade shook its head, feeling disappointed that it was unable to secure victory even after all their hard work.

"Hey, don't be like that. I didn't think we'd make it this far, but you did great." Marcus nodded, and then turned to Ash. "And thanks for the fight…"

"You too. That was great!" Ash then extended his hand to Marcus, and as a show of good sportsmanship, the two finalists shook hands.

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After some time to rest, it was time for the award's ceremony! The host was still unconscious, so Diantha was going to be doing the honors of award the top 3 finalist with their medals. "I assume Kasumi is still unconscious?" She asked Grace, who gave a nod.

"Yes. But if you don't mind, I would like to give her the bronze medal she worked so hard for." Grace responded.

"Of course." Diantha nodded and handed Grace Kasumi's 3rd place medal. She then went over to Marcus and smiled. "You did an astounding job during this tournament. I hope you will wear this medal with pride and strive to continue improving."

"You know it!" …Wait, that was probably not the best formal way to speak to a champion. "I-I mean…yes!" Marcus wore the medal almost immediately.

"…That should be me up there." Elizabeth was festering in her salt from the stands. Top 5 wasn't high enough to stand next to Diantha as she awarded the top 3 their medals.

"So...how are you feeling after all that?" Grace whispered to Marcus.

"Hah...a lot better. I may have lost...but it was fun. I have a goal now." Marcus said with a nod. "I really wish Kasumi was awake so she could've seen that..."

"And last but not least…congratulations, Ash." Diantha was about to hand Ash his medal for 1st place but…the sound of applause from above cut that short. "Huh…?"

Lady Venus sat on Suicune on the top of the stadium, clapping loudly enough for everyone to hear! "Bravo, Bravo! What a wonderful finale! Although it would've been much better if I had been included in it!"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Venus? I could swear we left you in jail." Cynthia spoke to the Lady.

"Oh, that terrible place? It was so awful! Nobody treated me like the Lady that I am! I only got three square meals a day, and the beds were just absolutely dreadful!" Venus feigned a swoon and everyone's expressions just dropped.

"D-Don't tell me she broke out of jail because she wasn't spoiled?!" Rui could not believe this…well, actually. Since this was Venus, she could see that.

"But alas! I've come here to deliver a message! A beautiful harbinger of destruction!" Venus pointed to the big screen. Wes' image then appeared and he had one malicious grin on his face. It wasn't just in Lumoise, but his broadcast was delivered all over the Kalos region.

"W-Wes…?" Rui tilted her head, unsure of what was going on.

"Hello, Kalos. You may call me Wes, or as I'm better known as…the Hero of Orre during Chiper's attacks. I'm glad you've all been enjoying yourselves in this tournament. Now that it's over there's a game that I wish to play with you; something that's had me curious for quite a while."

"What is he…." Diantha narrowed her eyes.

"Hero of Orre is such a dreadful title, though. While it's not true…there's a much better one I prefer to go by. Grandmaster of Chiper. Fits better, don't you think?" Wes shrugged.

"Is this a joke!?" Rui screamed. "Wes, what are you doing!?"

"Shush darling, he can't hear you." Venus zipped Rui before any questions could be asked.

"Now then, about that game. I propose a battle between all of you and all of Chiper. We will call this the game of Light vs. Shadow. It may sound cliché, but I assure you it's very fitting. I'm sure you've all heard of Shadow Pokémon, right? I've been preparing something very special for this event. Mewtwo, please show them your power." Wes snapped his fingers and from the Lumoise Tower, Shadow Mewtwo began to rise into the sky. Dark clouds began to roll in over the city, striking fear into the citizen's hearts.

"D-Did he say Mewtwo…?" Rui gulped.

"Oh, here comes the best part!" Venus clasped her hands together. Mewtwo was visible high in the sky and lifted its hand up. This action alone caused tendrils of darkness to emerge from the ground all over the city; the stadium included! The screams of panic and fear from the people were loud and they all began to panic!

"W-What's going on?!" Bonnie held her back close to her. She didn't notice that Squishy had already made its way out and immediately began hopping towards the source of trouble: The Lumoise Tower and Mewtwo.

"Watch out!" Takeba yelped, returning Ditto as the shadowy tendrils penetrated the arena walls and put several people's lives at risk.

"So, the game's begun!" Wes exclaimed. "Think of it as a larger scale Pokémon Battle! It's over when one side no longer has the forces to fight. There's a method to my madness, but I won't be explaining it just yet. Will this world drown in darkness? Or is there enough light for salvation? That's my question. Have fun everyone." With that, Wes' transmission cut out.

"Oh ho ho…it's been far too long. Suicune my dear…" Venus lightly tapped the necklace she was wearing. "We have to get into position as well." Venus patted Suicune's head and the mystical beast gracefully ran off.

It's finally begun. Wes has revealed his plan and status to the Kalos region in a game of Light and Shadow! What could his motives possibly be?! What is he hoping to accomplish? Is there enough light to snuff out the darkness of his plans and his evil heart? Without any warning, everything has led up to the final battle against Chiper! Kalos vs. Chiper; light vs darkness. Which side will win! And at what cost…?

Next Time:

Part 4 Begins! Light and Shadow.

***And this will be the last chapter for at least a week, as I will be out of town early tomorrow!


	57. Chapter 57: Light and Shadow

From the Chiper HQ, Nascour watched as Wes began to initiate the plan. The news was already covering the story and it made the vice-chief grin in delight. "It seems things are proceeding as planned. I didn't think he'd actually go through with it. But all the better that he has."

Snattle, who was freed from prison earlier in the day, came in the room and stroked his chin. "We've had some bumps in the road, but it seems everything has been able happen worry free. My only question now is that what we are to do about XD-002. I don't understand why he has brought her here in her condition."

"Hah…" Nascour took a glance at the unconscious Kasumi. Her power was still being kept in check by the machine she was attached to and Nascour merely gave a shrug in response. "At this point, she doesn't have further use. She's broken beyond repair."

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"I FREAKING KNEW IT!" Elizabeth screamed as chaos began to strike down on the arena and city in the form of black tendrils. "I KNEW HE WASN'T TRUSTWORTHY, BUT DID ANYONE LISTEN TO ME? NOOOOOOOOOOOO! GIVE HIM A CHANCE, YOU SAID. HE'S NOT BAD, YOU SAID." Elizabeth pointed accusingly at Rui. "AND LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW! I'm not dealing with this."

"Oh yes you are. I don't think now is the time to be pointing fingers, Elizabeth." Cynthia chided her fan, causing her to go quiet immediately. "More importantly, we need to evacuate the area! Everyone get outside now!"

"Y-Yes ma'am…" Elizabeth's attitude faded and she just nodded to Cynthia.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Takeba nodded and began to follow those not in the arena outside to get a better scope of the situation.

"W-What's going on…" Rui was completely shocked at the information that was just dumped on them. She couldn't move a muscle and only stared forward as a shadow tendril erupted right in front of her. "Wes…"

"Rui!" Serena reached forward and grabbed Rui's wrist, pulling her away before the tendril could strike her. "Come on, we have to go!"

Bonnie looked down in her pouch to see if Dedenne and Squishy were okay. The small electric mouse was there, but she noticed that Squishy wasn't in the pouch. "Huh?! B-Big brother…! Squishy is gone…!"

"What?!" Clemont stared at his younger sister as she showed him her pouch. "Where did it go…!? We'll have to look for it later; it's too dangerous right now."

"Man, can't we just have a simple awards ceremony…!?" Marcus complained.

"No time for complaining. We must join the others outside to see what is happening in the city." Diantha's words struck true. It was now time to follow the leader because everyone was equally lost.

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"WE'RE GETTING OUTTA HERE…!" Jessie, James, and Meowth all began to scamper off with the camera equipment. But Malva wasn't going to allow them to get very far while they still had her stuff.

"Just where do you think you're going!?" Malva shouted, causing all of them to freeze. "We have to report this incident to the entire region so they know what's going on!"

"I hate when she's right." Meowth sighed heavily. Honestly, he'd rather be anywhere else than just smack dab in the middle of the action.

James pointed the camera to Malva and turned it on. Once the broadcast was live, Malva began speaking to the press. "This is an emergency broadcast report coming from Lumoise City! The organization called Chiper has announced a full scale assault on the Kalos region! Their leader wishes to engage in a game called "light and shadow"! I advise everyone to remain safe and indoors! The attack is only in Lumoise right now, but it won't be long before it spreads out towards the entire region!"

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Outside the stadium, things were even worse! Shadowy tendrils exploded from the ground, taking down several buildings. The cause of this was Shadow Mewtwo who hovered in the sky above the city. The Kalos crew ran outside from different areas to observe the destruction and people fleeing. "This is…really bad…" Scott said with a shocked expression. "We have to do something about this. I didn't expect Chiper to unleash such a full scale assault like this…!"

"Wes would never do something like this…" Rui was still in shock.

"He's the cause of this!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "He said it himself!"

"I didn't think he was that kind of person…" Ash frowned.

"That doesn't matter now. We have to stop him." Kayla nodded firmly. "I think he's at the top of the Lumiose Tower…! That's clear across the city but…"

"Here." Clemont handed everyone special radios. "I've made these just in case so we can keep communication with everyone. There is no range limit so don't worry about it, just send a message in the event that we need to get in touch!"

"Leave the civilians to me." Diantha nodded. "I will make sure to protect them and lead them to safety."

"Since that's taken care of…now we can fend of the impending darkness." Lore remarked.

Before anyone could truly get started, Venus appeared once again on Suicune. "Thank goodness you're all still standing around like idiots. I almost forgot to tell you something very important!"

"Can you just drop dead already…!?" Takeba groaned. "Your grating voice is causing my ears pain…"

"And you're a gigantic eyesore, but you don't hear me complaining about it." Venus waved her hand. "Buuut! Now's a better time than any! Graaaaaaaaaaaace, Wes has orders for you to come to the Tower ASAP, kay?"

The tension in the air grew thicker as Venus spoke. Everyone glanced at Grace and she didn't say or move a muscle. "Grace isn't your Mini Venus anymore! You can't tell her what to do!" Marcus was quick to defend his friend, but his words only made Venus laugh. "W-What's so funny?"

"O-Oh, I'm sorry…your ignorance and innocent is just incredibly humorous to me…" Venus' laugh ended with a sigh. "I can see she's done well to keep her cover. You see…Mini Venus was just a little game we played. But in reality…Grace here has been a long standing spy for Chiper. She takes orders from every Admin, myself included. Isn't that right, Grace?" Venus tapped her chin while staring at Grace, who didn't say a word still.

"That…That's not true, is it…?" Bonnie stared at Grace.

"…..I'm sorry." Grace lowered her head, staring to walk forward until she was at Venus' side. "But…it's true. Even before we met…I've been working with Chiper. When we did meet, I was ordered to keep taps on everyone…" Grace's words left everyone in a stunned silence.

"You were lying to us…" Takeba grumbled.

"I'm really sorry…" Grace muttered.

"Why…" Marcus asked. He of all people wanted to know.

"Apologies don't make a difference in the end, do they?!" Venus interrupted such a moment with her annoying voice. "By the way, Rui, was it? I hope you have no hard feelings towards the boss. He'd really hate if you were caught up on the wrong side of this battle. But he's been plotting this for a really long time you see…and…."

"NO! STOP!" Rui placed her hands on her ears to block out Venus' words. She then just started running, wanting to get away from the situation as quickly as possible.

"Oh dear…now she's running off. Grace, come help me catch her. It's important. Also, Lovrina…I think you know what time it is." Venus patted Suicune's back and the two were off to chase Rui! That left Grace to walk, but she had little to no choice and followed behind Venus.

Ash glanced at Marcus, who was just stunned from the overload of information. If he wasn't going to move, then Ash would. Without thinking, Ash pushed forward and started to follow behind Grace. "Grace wait!"

"Wait…" Cynthia turned to Lovrina, having been the only one who noticed what Venus' parting words were. "Lovrina…what's going on?"

Lovrina had her back turned the entire time and remained silently. Without saying a word, she brought forth two pokeballs; once calling out her Ninetails, while the other was her Gardevoir. "I'm very sorry…I've been lying to you all this entire time. I am Lovrina…Chiper Admin and head of the Research and Development department of the organization. Everything that has happened thus far has been a result of my…and Ein's research…."

"You too…?" Elizabeth grit her teeth.

"But…even after everything you did…? You helped with my performance earlier and everything…" Serena was shocked. "You too…?"

"Tch…" Elizabeth sucked her teeth. "Anyone else in our group wanna be a traitor too? Last call!" The sarcasm.

"We'll take care of this…" Marcus told Diantha and Cynthia. He seemed to have recovered from the initial shock of Grace's treachery. "You guys have things you need to do too, right? The civilians without Pokémon aren't going to last much longer with these conditions."

"I also want to check in with Looker. If Venus is out of prison, I have a very bad feeling…" Cynthia trusted the others to deal with Lovrina and went off to the International Police HQ deeper in the city, while Diantha went off to help the civilians.

Lovrina tilted her head, emerald eyes staring at the people who called her their friend. With a frown, she pointed her hand forward, issuing the first command to Ninetails. "Ninetails, use Blizzard. Gardevoir, follow up with Psychic." Ninetails exhaled, releasing an extremely powerful blizzard that forced everyone to shield themselves from the wind pressure and cold. Gardevoir's eyes shone neon blue and its telekinetic powers only served to amplify the blizzard! It was difficult for anyone to move with such harsh conditions. Lovrina looked down at the ground shamefully. "…I'm sorry. But I have to do this…"

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Rui didn't really make it far. She ended up collapsing onto her knees, bringing her hands to her face as the tears began to roll down. She didn't understand anything that was going on and the choked sobs only showed it. "What's going on…? Did he lie to me….? But we…"

Ash caught up to Rui, panting softly to catch his breath. "Rui…! Are you okay…?"

"Do I LOOK okay?!" Rui shouted at Ash. She didn't mean to, but her emotions were running rampant and she couldn't help it. "I don't know what's going on! I don't understand why this is happening…" Rui's sobs were probably what attracted the horde of Chiper grunts to their location. Ash and Rui were quickly surrounded by peons; Cravix and Amelia leading the bunch.

"Well well! Look at what the Delcatty dragged in!" Cravix chuckled. Shadow Hydreigon was at the ready, while Amelia's Shadow Krookodile was ready to strike.

Plusle appeared from its pokeball, preparing to defend Rui with its life. Pikachu hopped from Ash's shoulders and the two mice had sparks dancing from their cheeks. "You guys again?" Ash grunted while looking at the numbers they were dealing with. All he knew was that they were severely outnumbered. "Tch…"

"Now now!" Venus appeared with Suicune and Grace. "Be careful with handling that girl! The boss has given special orders for her to be completely unharmed! And I'm not about to get in trouble for dealing with YOUR incompetence!"

"Don't hurt her." Grace reiterated.

"What about the other one?" Amelia pointed at Ash. "He's fair game, right?"

"The boss wants him too. But he didn't stay that it had to be unharmed." Venus waved her hand. "I trust you all can handle a boy. Now if you'll excuse me…" Venus patted Suicune's head once again and the mythical beast went off once again.

"You heard the lady! Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!" Hydreigon pointed one of its three heads forward and unleashed a black beam of energy towards Ash and Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu leapt forward and released a potent bolt of lightning from its body. This lightning clashed with the Dragon Pulse and resulted in an explosion.

"Krookodile, be a dear and use Slash!" Amelia commanded. Krookodile lunged through the smoke with its claws reared back, preparing to strike Pikachu from close range!

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu swung its tail forward to clash with the Slash. It was a power struggle before Pikachu elected to jump backwards before it was overpowered by the Shadow Pokémon. Ash grit his teeth while staring at the Peons around; Cravix and Amelia were already troublesome to deal with and the numbers were far beyond them as well! Ash stared at Grace before calling out to her. "Grace! Are you really with them…!?"

"…" Grace looked away and didn't say a single thing.

"Sand Tomb." Amelia commanded. Krookodile placed its hands on the ground and a pit of sand formed under Ash and Pikachu, slowly beginning to drag them into the center of it with no way out for them.

"N-No wait, stop!" Rui shouted and stood up, but she and Plusle were quickly pinned down by the remaining Peons and their pokemon. "Agh…! Plusle, Electro Ball on the sand…!" Plusle nodded, using its small size to slip between the blockade and leapt into the air, gathering electricity within its tail in the shape of a sphere that was thrown forward to the center of the Sand Tomb. The Sand Tomb exploded, throwing Ash and Pikachu out of its grip. "Whew…"

"You're lucky we can't hurt you." Amelia grit her teeth in annoyance. "No matter. Put them down."

"Golbat, Confuse Ray!" A Peon exclaimed. Their Golbat released several golden spheres that circled around both Ash and Pikachu before making contact with them. Almost immediately, both trainer and pokemon began overcome with an extreme fatigue.

"P-Pikachu…" Ash tried to move, but his body wasn't listening. It wasn't long before he just collapsed on the spot and fell unconscious. Pikachu let out a few weak cries in worry towards Ash. When it turned, it noticed that the Peons were slowly closing in. Pikachu threatened to shock them all, but it wasn't long before Pikachu also fell unconscious.

"There we go." Cravix hoisted Ash up over his shoulder. For someone as large and bulky as he was such a task was relatively easy. Pikachu was even easier with how light it was. "If you don't want them to get hurt you should probably come with us." Cravix directed his voice to Rui, who realized the futility of resisting. The helicopter was nearby and Cravix ushered Rui and Plusle into it.

Grace still didn't say anything. Instead she hopped into the helicopter with the others and it was off to the Lumoise tower…

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Amidst all the panic and screaming in the Lumoise streets, a lone figure hopped courageously towards the cause of it all: Mewtwo. Well…not really a lone figure. It was just the main Zygarde cell hurrying down the street while staring into the air. _"The darkness radiating off it…this is what those foul humans have tested…Can you hear me!?"_ Zygarde tried to communicate with Mewtwo, but it was no use. Its voice was not reaching Mewtwo and it was only intent on causing more destruction. " _It can't hear me. Very well…I have no choice but to unleash my power…"_ Several streaks of green light began to form around Zygarde as it ran forward. The small single cell's shape began to morph into a hound. Zygarde called forth 10% of its power, using this boost to hurry forward. The fate of the Kalos region now depended on its ancient protector…

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Next Time: Battle Plan.


	58. Chapter 58: Battle Plan

Cynthia pushed through the slowly ruined buildings, using Garchomp to take out any Peons that dared to stand in her way. They were easily defeated by Garchomp's overwhelming might. The problem was the amount of Peons that already infiltrated the city. Everyone was so busy watching the tournament it really left Chiper the open window they needed to take over the city. The sky was nearly pitch black above and the Sinnoh champion had to be careful of the shadowy tendrils sprouting from the ground. "What a fine mess we've all been lured into. We should've been keeping a more watchful eye on Wes…but I didn't think he'd be capable of something like this…" After a few more minutes Cynthia finally arrived at the International Police HQ. She looked around the destruction and spotted Looker attempting to walk. "Looker…!"

"Ah…" Looker grimaced in pain. There was blood dripping down his forehead…but he was alive. The same could not be said for most of the others. "I have some dire news to report…"

"Don't bother." Cynthia helped support Looker. "We already know. Wes has been playing us all for fools the entire time. What's the status here? Are you okay?"

"I've seen better days." Looker admitted with a dry chuckle. "But I can't let that stop me now…we have a much bigger problem to deal with. Forces here are low after the surprise attack, but we can manage to deal with some of the Peons with force."

"Right…I'll do what I can too." Cynthia nodded.

"I've also called in some reinforcements…" Looker added. "He'll be arriving shortly to help quell this attack."

.

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A distant memory: Agate Village. Right after Evice's Defeat _._

 _"_ _So, you're leaving…?"_

 _"_ _Yes…Chiper's been destroyed and I think we've purified every Shadow Pokémon. There's really not much of a reason for me to stick around anymore."_

 _"_ _C-Can I travel with you…? I really…uh…enjoyed our time together!"_

 _"_ _No. There are much better things to do than hang around with a villain like me."_

 _"_ _Stop saying you're a villain!"_ Rui's cheeks puffed out as she stared at Wes. _"You saved me and you didn't even know who I was. I said it before and I'll say it again. You're my prince…"_

 _"_ _Tch...cut that out."_ Wes shook his head while handing Rui a pokeball. _"Since I'm not going to be around, you at least need something to protect yourself. That's Plusle, you know, the one Duking gave us. It seems to like you a lot already. So you can use that to give any idiot you see a big shock."_

Rui stared at the pokeball before staring at Wes. _"Maybe one day, when I have enough Pokémon, I can challenge you to a battle! I can be strong, too!"_

 _"_ _Maybe one day."_

 _"_ _But…we'll always be a team, right!?"_ Rui lifted up her hand and Wes did the same. The two then did a high five for the end of their adventure and battle against Chiper.

 _"_ _That's up to you. But if we meet again later, if you still want to be by my side, I won't stop you."_

End memory.

The helicopter was slowly making its way towards the Lumoise Tower. Rui sat with Plusle in her lap, staring down at her hands as she recalled her time with Wes. It seemed impossible to her that Wes would do anything like this…but it was all happening right around her. The only way she was going to get answers if she were to ask him herself. But…she was also worried about everyone else. Ash was bound by some strange machine and still unconscious while Grace sat silently. Everything in her new group of friends was falling apart. When she looked out the window…she saw him. Wes standing at the top of the tower in wait with a large grin on his face.

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The Blizzard from Ninetails and Gardevoir were really doing a number on Marcus, Serena, Clemont, Scott, Bonnie, Takeba, Lore, and Kayla. They were unable to muster the energy to call forth a pokemon to put a stop to it while they were slowly beginning to freeze over! Lovrina's expression was clear as day: she didn't want to do this, but she felt as though she had to. That's the only reason why she couldn't stop. "…"

"I-I can't feel my toes…!" Yes, that was Takeba's biggest worry. "Lovrina, cut it out…!"

"Tch…" Scott began to dig deep into his psychic powers. A pokeball was unhinged from his belt and dropped to the ground; the capsule opened up, calling forth a Darmanitan. "Darmanitan, Flare Blitz!" Darmanitan cloaked itself in a fierce veil of flames and lunged forward. Ninetails and Gardevoir had to leap out of the way, thus halting their attacks. "Whew…that could've been bad."

"I-I wish I had a jacket on now…" Takeba shivered.

"Now's not the time for that…!" Elizabeth grunted before calling forth Zoroark. "Okay missy…if you really want to fight us, then we're not going to hold back. But you know there are more important things we can be dealing with right now, right!?"

"We know you don't want to fight! I can see it on your face." Serena pleaded. "You're still our friend, Lovrina. You've help us with moral support when we were at our lowest…so don't fight, please."

"What?" Lovrina looked up at everyone. "Don't be silly…this is all my fault. Kasumi's condition…Shadow Mewtwo…all of this…I've caused the corruption of a sweet, innocent girl and two legendary pokemon…among countless others. If I have to be anywhere…I might as well…" Lovrina really wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. She didn't notice Serena get so close to the point she got smacked! The resounding sound made itself known as Serena's slap sent Lovrina's head to the side. "Ow."

"That doesn't matter now!" Serena placed her hands on Lovrina's arms, staring right into her eyes. "I can tell you're a good person! When you smile, I can see the real you! This Chiper Admin may be a part of who you are…but it doesn't define you! I don't know your reasons for staying with that organization…but I know you're someone who wouldn't without a good reason."

While Serena was talking sense into Lovrina, the others did remain on guard in the event that it didn't work. Scott and Elizabeth were ready to take her down if need be…or at least try to. In the moment of silence, a tendril of darkness shot up behind Serena and Lovrina and began to dive at them. Lorvina noticed this and shoved Serena out of the way. "Watch out!" As for Lovrina…her Pokémon weren't quite prepared to try and protect her! Just before the worst could happen, the tendril was sliced into multiple pieces that all fell harmlessly to the ground around the Admin. "Huh…?"

"That was a close call…" Sycamore patted his Garchomp on the nose. "Is everyone all right?"

"Professor!" Kayla clasped her hands together…more so admiring Sycamore than his actions.

Serena stood up, smiling at Lovrina. "I don't think a good person would've saved me right there."

"Tch! Stop that!" Lovrina huffed while crossing her arms. "You all annoy me with your happy go luckiness…Ugh, damn it…you make me want to go with my gut…! Ever since I've gotten to know Kasumi as a person I've been regretting this entire thing. I wanted to stop but Wes wouldn't let me back out…!"

"Sounds like we softened her up." Bonnie grinned. "But wait…where is Kasumi..? She's still at the Center right…? What if those shadowy things attack there!?"

"She'd still be safe." Lovrina shook her head. "Okay, listen because I'm only gonna say this once due to the lack of time we have. Last night, Wes took Kasumi back to the Chiper HQ and hooked her up to a few machines to keep her stable. The HQ is deep in the Kalos Badlands. Luckily for you guys, there are several helicopters stationed near the Gym so a few of you can snag one and head over there to grab her. However…the Admins stationed here are a big problem. As you've seen…Venus isn't the only one with one of the three beasts. Ein and Dakim but have Raikou and Entei respectively. They're spread out over the city to make sure they have total control. Taking them out with gain some massive momentum, but it's really dangerous. Ein's in the tower transferring Shadow Power to Mewtwo to make sure it can't be purified. Wes and Shadow Mewtwo are without a doubt the biggest problem…I don't really know how to take care of one without dealing with the other."

"Good thing we have a big group." Elizabeth nodded. "We have to decide things before we head for the gym. We need a team to rescue Kasumi ASAP."

"Professor, why don't you take Serena and Elizabeth?" Lovrina suggested. "I'd love to drive you over there myself…but since I'm switching sides, it won't be long before they consider me an enemy."

"Very well." Sycamore nodded. They didn't have much time to stand around and think as several tendrils rose from the ground, splitting the group in two. "These things are rather violent…"

On the other side of the tendrils were Marcus, Bonnie, Scott, Clemont, Kayla, Lore, and Takeba. "Man…looks like we don't have the luxury of standing around all day…" Marcus grunted.

"We'll meet you at the gym!" Serena waved to the others before heading off with her group.

"We have to head to the gym. I need to take it back." Clemont was firm in this idea. He was well aware enemy forces would be the strongest there, but that was his gym they were inside of and he wasn't going to let them take it without a fight!

"Then I'll take Mewtwo." Marcus stated….only to immediately be slapped by Takeba.

"Are you stupid!? Don't say things like that or I'll smack you!" The pinkette huffed.

"Don't say it AFTER you've already slapped me!" Marcus groaned while rubbing his cheek.

"Do you know how strong that thing is!?" Takeba pointed to the Shadow Mewtwo in the sky. "It can cause storms, create shockwaves with its mind…mind wipe you! Don't be an idiot, Marcus!" You know it was bad when the airhead was telling someone not to be dumb.

"Okay, look…! I'm not about to full on fight that thing! But if someone needs time to be bought, I'm your guy!" Marcus grinned.

"….You're dumb." Kayla shook her head.

"Considering it's near the Gym…it's risky, but perhaps the only plan we have." Clemont adjusted his glasses. "What about the Admins?"

"I'll take Venus." Takeba piped up. That caused everyone to look at her.

"…Are you sure…" Lore started.

"Yes I'm sure!" Takeba frowned while stomping her foot. She could hear the concern in everyone's voices; not just from the Admins being extremely dangerous with their pokemon…but it was also Takeba. "I'm sure you've all forgotten by now, but I was the captain of the Kanto team back when that mattered before Venus changed everything! And I'm 7th overall in this tournament! I'm a competent trainer and I want you all to depend on me!"

"We really don't have the time to be arguing the dos and don'ts of this…" Scott sighed while shaking his head. Takeba's conviction made it extremely hard to deny her of this.

"If I'm in a bind…I'll send a smoke signal. If I win, you get a water signal, okay?" Takeba tapped her foot. The others had little choice but to agree since the longer they stood around, the more time they wasted. "Great. Don't worry; you guys can count on me!" With that, Takeba was off.

"I'm worried." Lore remarked.

"I really don't want to send her off on her own, but man is she stubborn…" Marcus rubbed his cheek again. "And strong…"

"I'm sure it's just because she cares!" Bonnie grinned. She did keep a smile on her face…but really she was worried about Squishy.

"All right, we can settle the rest later. To the Gym!" Clemont was taking command of this operation. Everyone else had to head down to the Gym to infiltrate it and make sure Ein could stop the transfer of Shadow Power to Mewtwo!

.

Diantha was handling the evacuation of the people smoothly. Luckily for her she had several Officer Jenny assiting her in this process. The people were being escorted to safe buildings. Diantha glanced around at the area, glad that things were going as smoothly as possible in this situation. Of course she had to have those thoughts a little too soon. A little girl tripped and got her foot stuck in a crevasse in the ground. "…!"

"Ahhh! Mommy! Daddy! Help!" The girl cried out.

"We're coming!" The parents both shouted, moving quickly to help their daughter. But of course a shadow tendril sprouted from the ground, both stopping the parents from helping and began to move in to attack the girl!

"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!" Gardevoir acted quickly, forming a violet sphere of darkness within its palms and launched it forward at the tendril, destroying it before it could strike the girl. Diantha let out a sigh of relief as the parents could grab their child.

"Thank you so much…" The mother spoke with gratitude in her voice.

"You're welcome! Now go and get out of here! This area is not safe!" Diantha exclaimed and the family left. Things were still rough and there was not even a moment for her to rest as several spheres of darkness exploded around her and Gardevoir. "What now…?!"

Cravix and Amelia were making good time. Hydreigon and Krookdile loomed in front of their trainers. Normally these two dark types wouldn't be a problem for a Fairy type such as Gardevoir…but these were Shadow Pokémon after all. Weapons built for impossible battles and this was no exception. "I see you're having a fun time making sure people are safe." Amelia quipped while placing her hands on her hips. "Sorry Champion, but we can't allow that to happen so easily. If all goes correctly, we'll be seeing a rise in Shadow Trainers."

"What?" Diantha was at the ready with Gardevoir.

"XD-002 was merely a prototype to see how Shadow Trainers would end up. The results we've gotten from that girl have been staggering, don't you agree?" Cravix explained. "We've been testing with power Mewtwo has been unleashing and as it turns out…anyone who is struck by those tendrils of darkness will be filled with Shadow Power. It's a tricky little thing…and we'd appreciate it if you'd stop getting in the way."

"I'll do no such thing." Diantha retorted. "As the Champion of the Kalos region, it falls upon me to protect the people in a time of crisis."

"Figured you'd say some stuck up thing like that." Amelia shrugged. "But it's fine. Since you want to get in the way so much…how about we take you and make you XD-003? Shadow Champion? Oooh…I like the ring of that…"

Diantha quirked a brow with the way Cravix and Amelia were speaking to her. She didn't have time for their games. "…I'm afraid you don't understand your place here. This is my region and I will not tolerate this injustice towards the people." Diantha and Gardevoir's expression shifted to something much more serious; something that surpassed the defense of her title: the defense of Kalos. "If you wish to see what it is a Champion can really do, then I will be more than obliged to show you the true merits of my rank. But I warn you now: I will show no mercy to anyone that dares hurt Kalos."

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Next Time: Dark Storm.


	59. Chapter 59: Dark Storm

Ash's eyes slowly began to open. When he finally woke up, he noticed that he was bound by some strange device. It wasn't just him, but Pikachu and the rest of his team were also constricted by a strange device. "W-What's going on? Guys, are you okay!?" They were all unconscious, but it didn't look like they were too terribly harmed. "Agh…What is this…!?"

"Oh, you're awake. You know, this ended up working perfectly. I was looking for you anyway and you were brought to me." Wes remarked before gesturing to the dark sky above. "Isn't it a grand sight? I can see why Evice was so adamant about this operation…although he never really had the power to take it to as grand a scale as this. I'd like to think I've outdone both Evice and Greevil with my Shadow Project."

"Wes…" Ash glared at Wes before taking a moment to realize where he was; at the top of the Lumoise tower. He could see the shadow tendrils wrecking the city down below along with Mewtwo above and it only made his eyes widen. "What are you doing…!?"

"That's what I want to know!" Rui exclaimed. "Wes…what is all this?!"

"Ah…" Wes ignored Ash and turned to Rui with somewhat of a welcoming expression. "I'm glad those incompetent Peons could at least follow the order to leave you unharmed. I believed this to be the best vantage point to watch my plan. You can practically see all of the bystanders running in fear…but worry not. If all goes according to plan then they'll be a part of Chiper too as Shadow Trainers. I have to say, XD-002 has been quite the useful prototype…"

"SHE HAS A NAME!" Grace made her presence known with her shout. Perhaps the first time all day since the incident occurred that she said something. "Her name is Kasumi! You've never even said her name one time!"

Rui's eyes widened and Plusle stared sadly at Wes. "Wes…you didn't order for Kasumi to undergo that wretched experiment, did you…?"

"It was merely a test." Wes shrugged. "…Actually, I didn't even order for it to be Kasumi. She just happened to get in the way so we took her instead."

"What are you talking about?" Ash questioned. When he looked at Grace he could see an expression wrought with nothing but regret. "Grace…? Are you with Chiper because…" He was slowly beginning to put the pieces together.

"…." Grace rubbed her arm. She couldn't bring herself to say anything again in Ash and Rui's presence, feeling as though her words would bring further mistrust if it wasn't there already.

"She's never told you, hm?" Wes turned to Grace with a sinister chuckle. "Fine then, allow me to explain. Roughly a year ago, there was a pokemon tournament held in the Kanto region. Although the competition was fierce, there were but three trainers who stood out among the rest. I'm sure you know them well: Marcus, Grace, and XD-002. The winner was Grace. That was the target we set our sights on for the first Shadow Trainer prototype…but as luck would have it…when we went to capture the girl, XD-002 got in our way and we ended up taking her instead. Now, she was quite the talented trainer so there was no loss. We forged a bond with herself and Dragonite…which resulted in the Shadow Trainer that you've witnessed a number of times. Lo and behold when coming to Kalos…there's another trainer who has a similar ability, but at little cost to them."

"Feeling guilty for letting Kasumi getting wrapped up in something that was meant for me…I worked with Chiper. I was told countless times that a Time Flute would be able to cure her Shadow. It worked with other Shadow Pokémon from what I was told…and I wanted to help Kasumi as soon as possible. But if I told anyone…" Grace rubbed her arm. "I couldn't let anything else happen to my friends because of my mistake. So I followed without question…I spied on you guys…reported everything…"

"All for your friend…" Rui bit her lip while staring at Wes. She couldn't believe he was the one behind all of this…she didn't want to believe it. "Wes…why didn't you help her like you helped me…!?"

Wes turned to the destruction Mewtwo was causing, grinning widely. "Because she was quite the useful pawn to me. All I had to do was mention the Time Flute and she'd do whatever was asked of her. It's really quite a shame that she still hasn't even realized this current situation is her fault."

"What?!" Grace shouted. "How…"

"You assisted in the capture of Mewtwo." Wes explained. "Your defeat from Venus, though an unexpected chain of events, did bring forth XD-002's power. Her condition now has led to the potential to turn other people into Shadow Trainers."

Grace flinched as her list of offenses only continued to rise. The tears were beginning to form in the corner of her eyes as the realization of all she'd done to help Chiper began to set in. "T-The Time Flute…that will fix everything. Kasumi will be saved and we can stop Mewtwo…!"

"Oh yes…your reward for such a good job well done." Wes reached into his pocket and pulled out a Time Flute. This was the first time Ash and Grace actually saw the thing up close. Wes then dropped the Flute at his feet, lifted his boot, and crushed it under his heel. The shattering sound resounded through the empty skies and everything just froze. There were only broken shards of the flute remaining at his feet. "Are you stupid? You haven't even realized it yet…but I've been stringing you along this entire time. As you can see, there are no more Time Flutes left. That offer never truly existed." That alone caused shock to hit everyone's core!

"Wes…!" Rui screamed in horror as the Time Flute was broken before their very eyes.

"W-Wha…" Grace's body began to shake as Wes stared at her with a straight face. "I-It never…"

"There's no way to help your friend. Even if I did have a Time Flute on me…she's broken beyond repair. Everything you've done to help her has been for naught…and now you've helped place all of your friends in danger after betraying them. Aren't you quite the character?" Wes chuckled.

"…I…" Grace fell to her hands and knees, the tears beginning to fall against her will. "I'm so sorry…"

"The bond you have with that girl is truly a wonderful thing…but that's the funny part about bonds. They can be exploited." Wes cracked another evil smile. Rui only stood there in shock, completely unsure what to make of this situation. But she was crying too, because she knew how much Grace cared about Kasumi only for this to happen…

.

"Huff…huff…" Takeba ran through the city streets. Yes, she thought it stupid to try and challenge Venus alone. The same woman who crushed Grace with Suicune was the same one she was about to try and challenge. She knew the others were extremely worried about her, but that only fueled her determination more! She wanted to be a dependable person to everyone. She knew she wasn't really the brightest bulb in the shed but she was stubborn! "…Why is it whenever you're looking for her, you can't find her…?" And then Takeba tripped on some uneven ground, tumbling along the street. Funnily enough she didn't notice the shadow tendril behind her and her blunder ended up saving her hide. She did tumble quite a bit before stopping, though. "Ouch…"

Venus was watching the whole thing. While it was amusing, she was not amused at the same time. "…I can't believe the army they sent to face off against the beautiful Venus is the bumbling idiot in a fanservice cheerleading outfit! I'm offended. What am I? A second thought!?"

Takeba shook her head while standing back up. She placed her hand on her hip while pointing at Venus. "There you are! Chiper Admin Venus!"

"Oooh, could you say that one more time? I loved the sound of that!" Venus clasped her hands together. "Ugh…where's that newswoman and her dopey looking camera crew. This needs to be rolling…"

"Take me seriously!" Takeba huffed. "I'm here to fight you. Ever since Kasumi fought you she's been suffering even worse than before."

"And they sent you?" Venus lifted a brow.

"No…I sent myself." Takeba clarified.

"PFFFT…" Venus then burst out into an uncontrollable laughter. "YOU!? Oh my goodness! That's rich! The idiot really thinks she can stand up to me on her own? Listen here, bouncy bouncy: the only reason I lost is because I made a slight miscalculation with that girl's power. At that point in time we had no use for her and I was intending for her to die right then and there. I was so close too~"

Takeba hesitated at this information. Venus was just the definition of a rose with thorns. "You're just a monster….A monster that has to be taken down!" Takeba reached for two pokeballs at her hip. "Blastoise! Vileplume! I need your help!" The two capsules opened; the bright neon light emitting from both revealing Blastoise and Vileplume with Takeba standing behind them. "You hurt a lot of people…"

"And you truly believe you can take me down? Girl…You're dumber than I thought. "Venus stood up and dusted her dress off. "I think you've forgotten who it is your dealing with. I am Chiper Admin Venus! The most beautiful woman to have ever existed!" Venus hopped off Suicune and clicked the button of a single Pokeball. "Steelix!" The capsule opened up and the bright white light revealed Mega Steelix. Both of these pokemon loomed over Takeba and her pair intimidatingly. "Do you still wish to face me? If you get on your knees, lick my foot, and beg for me to spare you…I just may consider making you a Mini Venus. You've got the looks for it, admittedly…and the requirements are so simple even an idiot like you can follow them!"

Takeba cringed. Not because she was called an idiot for the umpteenth time, but the thought of groveling at Venus feet and licking one was just absolutely disgusting. "I think I just had to swallow a little bit of my vomit…" Takeba then took a more confident stance, staring Venus down even in the face of danger that was Mega Steelix and Suicune. "My name is Takeba Vermillion. I am the heiress of one of the most powerful families in the Kanto region. If you think I will cower in fear in the face of adversity, you are solely mistaken. I will not bring shame to my family name."

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The main group was making their way to the Lumoise Gym. They were almost there when they were halted by a rather large squadron of Chiper Peons. If that wasn't enough, Dakim landed just in front of them with a grin from a building above. "Now…just where do you runts think are goin'? This tower is Chiper property."

"Ah crap it's the muscle head!" Marcus grimaced. "It just had to be this guy…"

"Those are a lot of grunts…" Kayla said while glancing around at the numbers. "How many people did they smuggle into this city while we were watching the Finals?"

"Too many." Clemont said while adjusting his glasses. This was a problem because he needed to get into the gym as soon as possible, but with Dakim's blockade, that task was looking a lot more impossible.

"The forces of darkness have multiplied due to my negligence…" Clearly, Lore was blaming himself for this happening. Even though it was far from his fault alone that Chiper was allowed to do whatever they wanted so freely.

Dakim slammed one foot onto the ground, taking a sumo stance while staring down at the trainers who wanted to get past him. "If you runts want to reach the Gym, you'll have to go through me and my group! And don't think I won't be afraid to lay the smack down on a few kids myself."

"He's serious…" Marcus said while taking a step back. "He threw Elizabeth and I down some stairs without a second thought. This man will really hit us, and frankly I'm not willing to test if I can take a hit from this muscle brain."

"So, what's it gonna be?" Dakim lifted his arm in the direction of a building nearby and used two fingers to usher something closer. Entei leapt from the building above, landing right next to Dakim while growling at the others. Dakim then threw a Pokeball into the air to call forth his Mega Swampert. With a vicious grin, he acted as The Great Wall to the Kalos group. "You should stop now before you get hurt."

"Damn…" Scott glanced around. "The Peons pose a greater issue behind him…if we could get through them…"

The timing could not have been better. A stream of flame and a bolt of lightning struck down on the Peons from above, causing them to disperse and scatter! From the roof above was none other than the mighty Blaziken Mask and his Blaziken, along with Clemont's Citroid and Heliolisk. "Never fear, help is here!"

"…Is that a guy in a chicken suit?" Marcus tilted his head.

"That doesn't matter!" Bonnie flailed her arms.

"Citroid!" Clemont smiled as his robot assistance came to help him out.

"We are here to assist." Citroid nodded.

"Ugh…the calavary?" Dakim scoffed. "Like that matters!"

"Darmanitan! Psychic!" Scott commanded. Darmanitan lunged forward as its body shone a neon blue light. Darmanitan unleashed a telekinetic wave that pushed several Peons back to create a path to the gym. "Clemont! Go now! We'll hold them off here! Bonnie, you stay back."

"Right! Citroid, come on!" Clemont wasn't going to waste this opening Scott created. With Clemont and Citroid going off to the gym, Bonnie did say behind because she was still worried about Squishy and couldn't find it. With the others she'd be safe for sure.

"Togekiss!" Kayla tossed a pokeball into the air; the capsule opened and the bright light revealed Togekiss. "We'll hold off these little Peons!"

"Indeed!" Lore called forth his Sceptile while Marcus called out Gallade. They were all ready to fend off the Chiper Peons.

"Excellent." Scott stepped forward while staring down Dakim. Scott's next pokemon was his trusted Manectric. "Then leave this one to me. I'll show this brute why it is Psychic trumps Fighting every time. I stake my pride as a Psychic on that."

.

With the path clear, Clemont and Citroid were able to infiltrate the gym once again. They came to a halt at the front door where Clemont tried to input his password. His fingers glided along the keypad only to be denied when he put in the password. "As expected…whoever was in charge of this operation must have changed the password."

"I can override it." Citroid stepped forward, inserting one of his fingers into the keypad. The robot began to override the password Ein set in place and the door opened. "There."

"Thanks…!" Clemont nodded and the two entered the Gym. They had to be very sneaky about this process. When they entered, they saw that Ein nearly completely remodeled the gym into his own little hideout and there were a few Peons guarding the machine. "What the….?"

In the center of the arena was a large machine; presumably the one Lovrina mentioned before. If that was the case then that machine needed to be destroyed ASAP if there was any chance of stopping Mewtwo. Ein was taking in the view from the tower as Mewtwo continued to cause destruction. "Ah…I love it when a plan comes together." Ein chuckled. "Lovrina's research is impressive, but it was my brilliant mind that put everything together. She didn't have the stomach to follow through with her own ideas. Such a shame…but she's still young; which is why I'll be taking credit for the success of Shadow Mewtwo, XD-002, and everything from this point on."

"This is their other scientist….?" Ein's attitude disgusted Clemont as a scientist. "Luxray, Chespin, Bunnelby!" Clemont called out all of his current team while they remained hidden. They had to act quietly, but quickly. "When I give the signal, you go and try to disable that machine, okay?"

"Yes." Citroid nodded.

"Right…Luxray, Electric Terrain!" Luxray hopped from cover and the two Peons spotted it instantly. However, before they could make a move, Luxray summoned a small field of electricity that rendered the two unconscious. "Excellent! Now we just have to…"

"Oh, I wasn't aware I had guests." Ein detected them much faster than Clemont would've liked.

"How…" Clemont stared at Ein with a glare.

"When Heliolisk and Luxray entered the room, I could detect the change in electrical ions in the air due to my wrist watch." Ein explained. "Electricity is also my specialty, you see." With a snap of his fingers, Raikou appeared from the large opening in the tower and landed in front of Ein, sparks dancing dangerously around its body. "When you work with the sacred beast of thunder, you want to be prepared for any sudden shocks. You're a scientist as well, aren't you boy? Perhaps in a few years you can train under me and become another Admin."

"There's no way I'd do that!" Clemont shot back while clenching his hand into a fist. "A scientist's work is never supposed to hurt people! It's supposed to help people for the future!"

To that, Ein laughed. "Oh, another young scientist. All of you kids think the same." As Ein spoke he detached a pokeball from his hip and tossed it into the air. Mega Alakazam was called forth and stood next to Raikou. "The point of science is to push forward no matter what. If people get hurt in the process…well, it can't be helped. You can't tell me your inventions haven't blown up before either?"

Ein was…somewhat right about that. Clemont's inventions usually did end up blowing up in everyone's face at some point…but at the same time, this was different. "I make my inventions solely to help people. Look at Citroid!"

"Ah yes…a robot meant to do your bidding. That's how mad scientists are born you know." Ein tapped his temple with his index finger. "But alas…if you refuse to be taken under my wind then I'm afraid I have no choice but to snuff out the light of that brilliant mind of yours. Granted…it'd never outshine my genius." Ein adjusted his shades, a sinister glint shining off of them.

.

It wasn't long before Zygarde finally made its way near Mewtwo, ironically it had to be atop the Lumoise Tower to do so. Mewtwo was still creating darkness but Zygarde was intent on getting its attention. _"Listen to me! Your power is being used by these evil humans! You can still break free!"_ No dice. Mewtwo was further slipping into the darkness with each passing second. _"You leave me no choice…"_ Zygarde opened its mouth, gathering an abundance of energy before shooting it forward. The Dragon Pulse struck Mewtwo's back and created a small explosion that caught everyone's attention.

"Huh?" Wes turned his head, staring at the hound. "Oh…? That canine matches the reports my Peons sent in a while back…who would've thought you'd show up too…if I can nab you too, then that will just make this operation even smoother."

Although that look at Zygarde didn't last long. Mewtwo retaliated against the Dragon Pulse with a Shadow Ball. Its power was immense and created a large explosion that destroyed that chunk of the tower. Zygarde evaded just in time and hopped onto a lower building while snarling at Mewtwo. Its attention was grabbed now. _"If I cannot reach you through my words…then I shall use force."_

"…." Mewtwo said nothing as it started to float down, glaring at Zygarde with those black eyes of its.

"Mewtwo…" Rui placed a hand on her chest while staring at Mewtwo. The amount of darkness only she could see pouring out of it… "Its heart is crying out to be saved…it's in pain…it's just like Kasumi…but it can't control itself."

"Is that what you see when you look at Mewtwo?" Wes questioned. It wasn't a problem that he was still speaking to Rui, it was the audacity he had to keep his tone so familiar and casual that only further tore her heart apart.

"…I want to save it…" Rui mumbled. Although that was just her wishful thinking…she didn't know how to save Mewtwo, especially when Wes broke what was largely believed to be the only remaining Time Flute around. There was still light in Mewtwo's heart that was sustained via its powers, but it wasn't going to last much longer, especially with Ein's machine down below.

.

"Shadow Claw!"

"Flash Cannon!"

Krookodile was first, speeding across the street with a claw of darkness shrouding its arm. The Shadow Pokémon lunged forward and aimed to rake its claw against Gardevoir's chest, but Gardevoir's graceful movements allowed it to evade with ease. As soon as it moved Hydreigon fired off a Flash Cannon in Gardevoir's direction. "Moon Blast!" Gardevoir summoned forth the power of the moon in a form of a pink beam. The two beams crashed and exploded instantly.

"Shadow Rush!" Krookodile gathered the shadow energy within its body for an offensive use. Without giving Diantha or Gardevoir any time to rest, Krookodile slammed right into it! Shadow moves were always super effective so Gardevoir ended up sliding back a great distance.

"Crunch!" Hydreigon flew forward with all three heads ready to bite down!

"Reflect!" Gardevoir held its arms out as a barrier formed around its body to reduce the damage of physical moves. Just in time as all three Hydreigon heads bit down on Gardevoir's arms…but it wasn't for offense, it was to lift it into the air! "What!?"

"Dark types are really nice for Psychic Types. Psychic doesn't work on them so there's no worming your way out of this one." Amelia cooed. "Let's throw this one into a shadow tendril and see what happens!"

"No, stop!" Diantha cried out.

"Dragon Rush!" Out of nowhere, Garchomp slammed into Hydreigon. The impact was so strong Hydreigon had no choice but to release Gardevoir, who fell to the ground but stuck the landing. Cynthia hopped down from a destroyed building. "It seems we made it just in time. Are you all right?"

"Thank you…" Diantha gave Cynthia a smile of gratitude.

"Looker and whatever forces he has left are going to be rounding up whoever they can. We also have some reinforcements on the way from what I was told." Cynthia informed Diantha of that situation before turning back to Cravix and Amelia, who were only slightly annoyed by Cynthia's interference. "Now then…I believe there's some unwanted trash we have to clean up…?"

"Yes, you are correct." Diantha nodded as she and Gardevoir were ready to battle once again.

"A champion tag team? Nothing compared to Shadow Pokémon!" Cravix stated confidently. A double battle was about to take place and it wasn't going to be very pretty for either side.

.

.

Next Time: The Three Beasts


	60. Chapter 60: The Three Beasts, Part 1

Malva, along with the camera crew that was Jessie, James, and Mewoth, scurried through the city. Malva was really willing to risk it all just to get good coverage on this story! "This is a live report from Lumoise City! The strange shadows have taken over the city and caused major damages all around! The citizens have mostly been evacuated…" Speak of the devil as they just happened to run into a cornered family. Several Chiper Peons had a family of four cornered with several pokemon such as Mightyena, Ninjask, etc. "Or not. You three stay back." Malva tossed up a pokeball, calling forth her trusty Houndoom. "Houndoom, Flamethrower!" The hell hound reared its head back before releasing a powerful stream of flame in the Peon's direction. It sufficed in splitting them apart from the family.

"Damn!" A Peon exclaimed. "Mightyena, Thunder Fang!" The Mightyena snarled before rushing forward towards Mightyena.

"Crunch!" Houndoom sprinted forward, evading Mightyena's Thunder Fang and bit down harshly on the back of its neck, swinging it around before hurling it elsewhere. "Get out of here, now! I'll handle this!"

"You heard the lady!" James told the family. After a brief moment the family nodded and hurried off to safety. "Now then…let's get out of here too….!" There was no need to repeat that; Jessie, James, and Meowth hurried off to somewhere safe!

"Now then…" Malva turned to face the Chiper Peons while briefly adjusting her glasses. "I know full well our darling champion is doing everything in her power to ensure that the people are safe. And as a member of the Elite Four, I must do the same. So…Chiper, was it? Prepare to be burned to cinders."

.

"Shadow Claw!" Krookodile lunged forward towards Garchomp while rearing its darkness imbued claw back. Once close the ground type aimed to rake its claw across Garchomp's chest, but Garchomp evaded with a quick leap backwards.

"Stone Edge!" The very second Garchomp landed its fin met with the ground, creating multiple azure stones that rose up in attempt to stab both Hydreigon and Krookodile.

"Shadow Pulse!" Hydreigon's left head proceeded to gather shadow energy before unleashing it in a large beam, sweeping to the right to destroy the stones before they could get close.

"Psychic!" Gardevoir's body shone a neon blue hue as it used its telekinetic abilities to grab a hold of all the broken pieces of rocks before shooting them all towards the opposition at an increased rapid fire.

"Dig!" Krookodile dug into the ground with Hydreigon following alongside of it. Because of this the two were able to evade the reflected Stone Edge. Not even a moment passed before the two of them appeared from a hole, each of them focused on a champion's pokemon!

"Reflect!" Gardevoir spread its arms out once more, creating a barrier around itself and Garchomp that greatly reduced the damage of the incoming physical blows they received, only sliding back just slightly as a result. Diantha let out somewhat of an irritated huff. "For mere Peons, you two are quite adept at battling."

"I agree…" Cynthia said while placing a hand on her hip. "The Peons I had to fight before didn't nearly put up so much of a fight. That Admin, though…but I digress. It's clear you two don't rely on the fact you're working with Shadow Pokémon. It's actually a bit of a pain, we have bigger Magikarp to fry than you two."

"Oh this?" Amelia waved her had around dismissively. "This is nothing."

"Yeah!" Cravix brutishly pounded his fist with his chest. "You see…Amelia and I here are at the top of the Peons. We're basically Admins in everything but official rank. Our promotion is supposed to come at the end of this operation…and if we can obtain if after defeating two champions…"

"I think you've misunderstood me…" Cynthia rolled her eyes. "I didn't say you were a pain because you were causing us trouble. I said you were a pain because you weren't going down as quickly as your comrades. You're very mistaken if you think you'll make it past one, let alone two champions."

"Honestly, youth these days…" Diantha sighed.

"T-They're not taking this seriously at all, are they!?" This only irritated Amelia as the two champions looked down on them. "Why you….now we're going to show you why Shadow Pokémon are so terrifying!"

.

"Steelix, Iron Tail." Mega Steelix lifted its large tail up, swinging it down towards Takeba and her two pokemon.

"Whoa…!" Takeba, Blastoise, and Vilplume all took a leap to the side just as Steelix's tail crushed the earth, creating a large crater from impact. "H-Hey! If I didn't know any better I'd swear you were trying to hit me too!"

"I'm surprised you know anything at all." Venus scoffed while playing with her hair before tapping her necklace. "Suicune, Aurora Beam." The mythical beast jumped forward in front of Steelixing, raising its front legs slightly before placing them down on the ground to unleash a rainbow colored beam of frost towards Takeba and her pair.

"Vileplume, Protect!" Vileplume took the lead, summoning a protective barrier around Blastoise and Takeba. This barrier succeeded in shielding the pokemon and trainer from Suicune's attack.

"Nice! Now Blastoise; Water Pledge!" As soon as the barrier receded, Blastoise lifted its fist into the air before sending it crashing down on the ground. The very Blastoise's fist hit the ground, pillars of water began to erupt, travelling in a line before splitting up, encircling both Steelix and Suicune before converging for a large explosion of water! "We got them!" Takeba grinned to herself. But there was one little issue…While Steelix was indeed consumed by the Water Pledge, Suicune was standing atop the water like it was nothing. "Huh!?"

"Oh for the love of…" Venus pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't tell me you don't know anything about my darling Suicune! It's the beast of water…and you come in charging with a water type! Oh my goodness…you really are stupid…!"

"Clearly you've forgotten about the grass type!" Takeba exclaimed. "Vileplume, Petal Dance!" Vileplume began to spin around, creating a whirlwind of sharp pink petals that flew towards Suicune and Steelix. This was actually a direct hit as the force of the vortex made Suicune and Steelix brace themselves. "There we go…!"

"Suicune, blow those unsightly petals away with Gust." Suicune whipped its tails around, creating a counter vortex that fought against the Petal Dance. It wasn't long before the Petal Dance was overpowered and the Gust hit Takeba and her pokemon! They all tried to hold their ground but were ultimately blown away! Takeba probably got the worst of it as her back hit a wall and she ended up falling onto her leg after.

"O-Ow…! My leg…" Takeba winced while glancing down at her leg. Definitely sprained now. "Oof…are you two okay…?" When the pinkette looked at Vileplume and Blastoise, they both nodded and expressed more concern for their trainer than themselves. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." The heiress gave a smile.

"You won't be fine for much longer. Steelix, Stone Edge." Steelix lifted its tail up once more before slamming it down on the ground. Multiple azure stones rose from the ground, closing in on Takeba and her team!

"Blastoise, Aura Sphere!" Blastoise leaned forward while pointing one of the cannons on its back out. The water type then released a sphere of aura energy that began to blast through the incoming Stone Edge before exploding against Steelix. Due to Steelix's high defenses, the pokemon barely cringed from the impact. "Damn…now I see why Kasumi and Grace had such a hard time with this thing."

"Flatten her like a pancake. Heavy Slam!" Steelix then took a high leap into the air, using its massive weight to fall back down at the speed of a meteor!

"OH NO." Takeba panicked. "Blastoise, Vileplume, MOVE!" They did just that. As for Takeba, her Dodrio happened to call itself out, pick Takeba up with the head on the right, and placed her on its back before leaping onto a building just as Steelix's massively heavy body crashed into the ground. "Oh thank goodness…thank you, Dodrio…I can't move my left foot, but I'm fine…"

"You keep saying that, but I don't think you know what it means." Venus sighed. "Suicune, Hydro Pump. Destroy each and every building if you have to to drown her." Suicune acknowledged Venus' command and began to fire off high pressurized funnels of water at Takeba and her Dodrio!

"Time to dip…!" Takeba patted Dodrio and it began hopping from building to building to avoid Suicune's wrath. Once Suicune was facing a certain angle, that's when Takeba struck! "Now Blastoise! Rapid Spin!" Blastoise moved in from Suicune's blind spot, slamming its rotating shell into the beast's side. This seemed to have some effect, but…

"Aurora Beam!" Suicune turned and fired off another rainbow beam of frost at Blastoise, breaking through its Rapid Spin and crushed it into a building!

"Blastoise!" Takeba cried out.

"Steelix, Iron Tail!" Steelix violently swung its tail at Vileplume, sending it in the same direction as Blastoise.

"Oh no! Are you two okay!?" Takeba expressed her concern while hurrying over to her two pokemon.

Venus merely smiled as Takeba rushed to her two pokemon. "You are truly a fool for believing you could take me on alone…"

.

"Swampert, Earthquake!" Dakim with the aggressive plays already. This brute force Admin didn't give a damn about friend or foe as he made his commands. Swampert slammed its hands on the ground, creating a tremor so fierce the entire city felt the vibrations! Everyone started to stagger around or lose their footing from the force of the tremors.

"W-Whoa…! What's this idiot doing…!?" Kayla stumbled around before holding onto her airborne Togekiss, who was not effected even the slightest by the shaking.

"L-Lord Dakim…!" Several Peons shouted in worry.

"I will use any force necessary to put down these annoying brats!" Dakim shouted, almost angrily. His anger was a little irrational since nothing even happened yet…but he wasn't a hothead for no reason. "Entei, Fire Blast!" Entei reared its head back as flames began to gather within its mouth.

Scott grit his teeth. If Dakim was really planning to risk everyone's safety to put them down that made him a threat all of its own. "Darmanitan, Flare Blitz!" Darmanitan cloaked itself in a fierce veil of flames before lunging at Entei just as it unleashed the Fire Blast. The two collided and a gigantic fiery explosion occurred on the spot! "Entei is strong…"

"You're forgetting something! Swampert, Hammer Arm!" Swampert's movements were surprisingly swift as it moved forward with one beefy arm raised.

"Blaze Kick!" Blaziken interrupted Swampert with a fiery kick to intercept its arm. The two were in a stalemate before leaping back. Blaziken Mask gave Scott a salute. "We're all in this together. Don't go taking risks by going off on your own!"

"I wish there was one idiot who got that memo…" Marcus sighed before glancing over in the direction of watery explosions. But he couldn't focus on that for too long since there were some grunts that needed to be cleaned up. "Gallade, Psycho Cut! Mow them all down!" Gallade complied and its arms shone brightly with kinetic energy. In the next second the knight dropped down and dashed forward, slicing through any pokemon it could that dared to stand in its way!

"Manectric, Thunder!" Manectric howled before calling forth a bolt of lightning from the sky onto itself. It used itself as a Lightning Rod to cause an electrical shockwave that burst out from its location, tearing through anything that was not a friend while inflicting it with Paralysis. Swarmpert's immunity to electric rendered it safe from such an assault while Entei escaped with Extreme Speed. "It's fast too…"

"Of course!" Dakim spoke with a proud grin. "This beast burns hot with a fighting spirit! It is the perfect match for myself!"

"Because you're a hot headed idiot?" Scott questioned. "I think you might beat Takeba in a stupid contest…wait, that wasn't very nice was it…" He could already feel Takeba's palm slapping his cheek.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME!?" Dakim lifted one leg up and slammed his foot into the ground. While it didn't cause a tremor it was pretty intimidating nonetheless since he was the biggest person on this side of the city. "I'LL CRUSH YOU FLAT!"

"While you're at it…put on some clothes. That loincloth has been waving around a little too much and I'm afraid of what might happen at this rate." Scott gulped.

.

"Alakazam, Shadow Ball!" Ein snapped his fingers. Alakazam began to rotate its many spoons, all of them releasing spheres of darkness towards Clemont, Citroid, and their pokemon!

"Chespin, Pin Missile!" Chespin leapt forward while its quills began to shine and grow. The grass type then released multiple pins that spread out in all directions, clashing with each and every Shadow Ball present. Each collision resulted in a large explosion along with smoke filling the room. "Now Luxray! Swift!" Luxray took the lead and swung its tail forward, releasing a countless array of stars that collided against Alakazam and Raikou.

Ein was unfazed by this and continued to attack regardless. "Psybeam." Alakazam clapped its hands together before each rotating spoon began to unleash beams of kinetic energy towards Clemont's team!

"Bunnelby, Mud Shot!" Bunnelby swung its ears forward, hurling spheres of mud at the incoming Psybeam. It wasn't quite enough and Bunnelby was blasted away by a beam and hit the ground. "Ah..!"

"Raikou." Ein was finally commanding Raikou to attack. "Thunder." Raikou responded without delay, gathering a large abundance of lightning with its body.

"Cover your eyes! Flash!" Citroid commanded Heliolisk. Heliolisk opened up its frills, unleashing a blinding flash of light that caught Alakazam and Raikou off guard. Raikou's Thunder was a miss and struck some random area.

Clemont did as he was told and covered his eyes. Now with this brief opening, he couldn't afford to waste it. "Luxray, Thunder Fang! Bunnelby, Wild Charge! Chespin, Pin Missile!" This was Clemont's all-out Assault!

Of course…it was a minute detail, but one that was important nonetheless. The fact that Ein sword shades allowed him to see even during the Flash. "Alakazam." Alakazam knew what Ein was asking of it and didn't object in the slightest! Alakazam rushed forward and used Psybeam to counter the Pin Missile. While it did succeed in doing that, there was no defense for the Wild Charge and it flew backwards slightly, now out of the way to give Luxray a clear shot at Raikou. "Discharge." Raikou released the electricity in its body. Each bolt of lightning struck Luxray, Bunnelby, and Chespin, sending then flying backwards.

"Are you all okay?!" Clemont asked. All of his pokemon did stand back up. "Whew…"

"I've done some research on this gym." Ein explained while adjusting his shades. "Lumoise City gym…an electric type gym with you as its leader. When I broke the codes, I admit I had a little bit of trouble. You really do have quite a mind on you, young one…but I'm sorry to say that it would never surpass the might of my genius."

"Is that so?" Clemont took a brief glance at Ein's machine. While Ein was focused on Clemont, Citroid and Heliolisk snuck around to try and dismantle the Shadow Machine! "I won't lose to someone who thinks it is okay for people to be hurt by Science."

"Science is the result of trial and error. If people are hurt in the result…then people will not make the same mistake to hurt people. It is a small price to pay." Ein shrugged. "You learn this as you grow older. You will realize the sacrifices it takes to advance in science. Take Shadow Pokémon for example. I was the one who created the very first Shadow Pokémon. To be able to push a Pokémon past their normal limits and use them as weapons of war and destruction. All it took was to seal their heart. Now look at where my research has gotten me. The mighty Mewtwo has fallen prey to the Shadow power!"

"You're nothing but a mad scientist." Clemont said while narrowing his eyes. "You're type of scientist that focuses on if they can, rather than if they should."

"Don't go chiding me now." Ein said with a chuckle. "Your words are wasted on me. Perhaps you should be speaking to the co-creator of the Shadow Project; Lovrina. While it was her idea to try what we normally do on Pokémon to humans, I was the one who went through with the execution. I have to say…XD-002 did quite the job. As the prototype to Shadow Trainers, I think we have a good blueprint on what they're capable of now! It's a shame that XD-002 is broken…we could've used her hear."

Now Clemont was really angry. The way Ein spoke of Kasumi as though she were really just some tool. "People are not tools for experimentation! Kasumi is a living person who cares about her friends."

"Cry me a river." Ein waved his hand dismissively at Clemont's comment. "The only thing she's good for now is using her shadow signature to create more Shadow Trainers. She's all but dead at this point. Oh….listen to me. You've got me debating…" The scientist waved his hand and Alakazam used its psychic powers to catch Citroid and Heliolisk, throwing them off to the stands. "Did you really think I wasn't going to notice you two sneaking around? I am the greatest mind in Chiper."

It didn't take a genius to know that Clemont was not in the best situation. Despite how irritating Ein was…he was truly smart…Perhaps smarter than Clemont, so that was going to make this battle already more difficult than it was. "….."

.

.

Wes glanced around at the various explosions occurring all over the city. "Huh…I suppose the fighting has begun. Took a little longer than I expected…but it'll only be a matter of minutes before they're all defeated. Those idiots you call friends can only put up a fight for so long."

"How can you say that…?" Rui asked. "I thought…"

"I never said I liked any of them. I just said I didn't hate them." Wes clarified. "They don't stand a chance against the Admins packing the three beasts."

"But I thought you released them…?" For Rui, everything was happening so fast and so suddenly that she couldn't make any sense of it.

"I did." Wes explained. "And as I told you before, they were promptly recaptured when my operation began. So far everything has been going according to plan…if XD-002 was awake and had some use she'd be here too. But alas…we'll probably have to throw her away soon."

"H-How can you speak about her like that…? She was more human than any of us even in her condition!" Rui cried out. "Wes, what happened to you!? Why are you doing this…I don't understand you right now and it hurts…"

"Once the darkness grabs a hold of you…it will never let go." Wes responded solemnly. "No matter how hard you try to shake it off…there's always a small part of it that will linger within. In the end, that girl was unable to shake off her own darkness and it was going to cost her her life anyway."

"I-If I had that Flute…if I wasn't so stupid…" Grace was hardly paying attention to anything but her own self-pity.

"Grace!" Ash was trying to speak some sense into this woman, because Arecus knows she needed it now. "Who cares about that stupid flute!? I can see you falling into darkness right now with your own despair…but get a hold of yourself! What would Kasumi think right now if she saw you like this!? Marcus too!"

"They both probably hate my guys for betraying them…" Grace responded. "I saw how Marcus looked at me…with disgust…just like you and everyone else."

"No, it wasn't that." Ash shook his head. "You three are such good friends, I can see it in how you talk and act with each other! He was shocked, sure…we all were. But I think every can figure out why you'd side with them. It wasn't to help them, it was to help Kasumi. Don't forget, she put herself on the line for you too against Venus even though she put herself in such a terrible condition…she did it knowingly for you. You have good friends! And we're your friends too! If Kasumi's falling into the darkness, then you can be her light! We all can…!"

"Her light…" Grace mumbled. But she still wasn't sure…

"God…" Wes shook his head. "This sentimental drivel that you're spewing is making me sick. I can only imagine there being a bunch of people you hate you for that and a few more reasons. But that aside…I have to admit you are quite the battler. I've been interested in that Battle Bond of yours with Greninja…it certainly caught me off guard when we battled in the preliminary rounds. And I've been thinking about what a Shadow Trainer would be like with such power…" Wes used his Snag Machine to gesture something forward. A small black droid hovered forward and pointed at Ash. "I was planning to do this with whoever won the tournament anyway…so I guess Lady Luck really is on my side today." With a snap of his fingers, Wes commanded the droid to unleash potent shadow energy in Ash and Greninja's direction. Ash let out a yell while gritting his teeth to fight against it.

"Aggggh! W-What is this…!?" Ash groaned while his trapped Pokémon stared at him in worry, crying out rapidly.

"Shadow Energy." Wes stated. "You can fight against it all you want, but eventually it will seep into your very core and taint you. Once it does that…there's no escaping it. Time Flutes don't exist anymore. I think I'll call you…XD-AG."

Rui couldn't watch this anymore. She rushed over to Wes and began to beat on his chest with her fists. While the effort itself didn't do anything it was the action that spoke louder. "WES! PLEASE STOP THIS! I don't want to see anyone get hurt anymore! You're all very important to me and we shouldn't be fighting like this! Please…please stop…you weren't like this before…!"

Wes tilted his head at Rui. For the first time ever, for only the faintest of seconds…she caught his glare. That glare he gave to their enemies. "I understand you not wanting to fight…but if you're not going to fight with me this time, then get out of the way. I brought you here so you wouldn't be hurt by those idiots down below. I thought you'd gotten stronger, but it seems you're still as dependent as before…I was never like this you say? Probably because you blinded yourself to it…take another look at me and you'll see with those eyes of yours what this heart contains…"

Rui's eyes widened at those words. She felt her heart sting and she silently backed away from Wes with a nod and returned to Plusle's side. The tears fell from her eyes and she moved to back away from Wes, feeling powerless. If Wes hadn't given orders to take her up…she'd be down there trying to fight and probably get in the way. When she looked at Wes…she finally saw it: the darkness radiating off of him. "…I…"

Ash watched the entire thing. Wes' unchanging expression was perhaps what got under his skin the most. He just made two of their friends cry without so much of a second thought. "You…" He had enough of this. He didn't care what Wes' reasons were anymore. "I've had enough of you and your attitude…!" Greninja's eyes flashed red in the process. With a battle cry, a gigantic vortex of water exploded from around the two of them! The shadow machine was pushed backwards and destroyed in the process.

"…Shadow Power didn't work…?" Wes tilted his head, but at the same time…there was a very wide grin spreading on his lips. He was feeling excited now. "You've just become that much more interesting a subject…"

The devices binding Ash and Greninja were completely destroyed. As they fell, Ash issued a command out of the anger he was feeling for Wes. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!" From that veil of water, Ash-Greninja sprung forward with a large shuriken at the ready. The ninja tossed the shuriken directly in Wes' direction immediately after!

Wes bent his knees and preformed a backflip over the Shuriken, turning his head back to watch it fly off into the distance. "That was quite the toss. I could feel the anger and resentment in that swing. You know those two emotions are what open the path to darkness, right?"

"I won't be consumed by those emotions like you…" Ash retorted while standing tall with Greninja by his side. "You've already made these two cry…and brought harm to countless people and pokemon. For that…I will never forgive you."

"Ha…!" Wes laughed at that. His left arm extended and a pokeball began to manifest from the Snag Machine. "I don't want your forgiveness. I want your power." Wes tossed the pokeball forward and from it came Shadow Tyranitar. This unstable pokemon let out a mighty roar as its Sand Stream activated, creating sandstorm on the top of Lumoise tower.

"That Tyranitar…." Rui mumbled while shielding her eyes from the sand.

Wes held his arm forward while staring at Ash, lowering the visor on his head so the sand wouldn't be an issue to him. "If you're so intent on stopping me here…then you'd best give it everything you've got and more. Otherwise you'll only fall along with the rest of your friends."

.

.

To be continued…


	61. Chapter 61: The Three Beasts, Part 2

The vortex of rising from the Lumoise Tower was sight that everyone could see. Serena turned almost as soon as it erupted, a wide smile forming on her lips. "Ah…! That's where Ash is!"

"And just what has he been doing this entire time…?" Elizabeth placed her hands on her hips. When she thought about it, she realized that the top of the tower was likely where Wes was supposed to be anyway. "Ugh, I can't believe he gets to fight Wes…! I'm turning around and heading up there right now…"

"We already have a job to do." Sycamore responded. "Your friend has tasked us with rescuing Kasumi, has she not? The last thing we'd want to do is prove her actions fruitless, don't you agree?"

"…Ugh." Elizabeth knew this was the truth. She didn't want to let Lovrina down after she went through all the trouble of spilling the beans…she just really wanted to beat the crap out of Wes for everything he's pulled. "Lovrina said there's a helicopter over here, right? It would've been nice if she gave us the exact directions to the Chiper HQ…"

"Did you say Chiper HQ?" Jessie's ears flared and she approached the small group with the camera in hand. Due to the disguise, Sycamore, Elizabeth, and Serena didn't recognize them. "Why, we were heading there ourselves!"

"…Who are you?" Serena tilted her head curiously. "Isn't it a little dangerous for a few news reporters to be heading over there…?"

"We could say the same of you, twe—er, two!" James just barely managed to correct himself. "That's a dangerous place indeed."

"Something about this doesn't seem right…" Elizabeth learned closer, examining the trio as best she could. "Have we met before…?"

"Nope!" Mewoth quickly responded! "Besides, don'tcha need someone to pilot a helicopter!? We happen to be able to do that!"

"…Okay, I suppose that's fair…" Elizabeth conceded on this point. Lovrina seemed to overlook the idea that no one around had the knowledge of operating a helicopter. "But you better stay out of the way when the fighting starts."

"Oh trust us, we can hold our own." Jessie responded.

"Ooooooh, Chiper HQ?" A familiar beat started to ring out in the area. That red and white afro bounced as Miror B walked with a stride in each step. Trudley and Folly were right alongside him. "I can't help but dance at the thought of stopping Chiper once again; you simply MUST let me join you!"

"Okay, now it's starting to get a little too crowded." Elizabeth glared at Miror B. "What are you doing here exactly…?"

"Do you really have the time to sit and chit-chat? Or shall we DANCE at Chiper's HQ?" Miror B questioned while jiving in place. It was a really strange sight but he did bring up one vital point; they didn't have time for this. "As a former Chiper Admin, I feel it is imperative that this operation be sunk as soon as possible! Besides, who knows what may happen to that girl if we don't hurry."

Sycamore was definitely suspicious of Miror B. "…How much do you know? You are quite the informed individual…"

"Boss has an eye for these things." Trudley responded.

"Folly, fire up the helicopter!" Miror B commanded. "We have a dance with destiny!"

"You got it boss!" Folly gave a salute and began to make the preparations needed to start operating the Helicopter.

"Before I forget…" Elizabeth pulled out the communicator Clemont handed everyone at the start of the incident. "This is Elizabeth here. We've secured a helicopter and we're going to Chiper HQ now!"

"…I don't know how I feel about riding in a helicopter with a guy named Folly." Serena spoke while smiling anxiously.

.

"Hey…what's what?!" Amelia pointed at the rising pillar of water from the tower. "That's where the Boss is…"

"I see he's finally decided to join us…" Diantha said while placing her hands on her hips.

"I suppose we can leave that to him then." Cynthia nodded to Diantha before commanding Garchomp to attack. "Dig!" Upon that command, Garchomp proceeded to burrow into the ground.

"Krookodile, pursue!" Amliea shot back. Krookdile began to follow Garchomp into the ground and the collisions from their meeting could be felt above ground in the form of several tremors.

"I don't think so!" Cravix wasn't going to have any of that. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Oh no you do not. Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!" Gardevoir pointed its hands forward, releasing a glob of darkness towards the incoming Dragon Pulse, causing an explosion upon contact. It didn't stop there as Gardevoir continued to unleash rapid fire Shadow Balls towards Hydreigon to keep it on edge. Hydreigon was forced to take evasive maneuvers, nimbly flying around to avoid the incoming Shadow Balls as they exploded in the air around it.

"You're extremely annoying!" Cravix told Diantha out of annoyance.

"Say what you will. At the end of the day it will be us who come out on top." Diantha replied.

Right around then Garchomp rose from the ground with Krookodile's tail within its mouth. A slight smirk tugged at Cynthia's lips at this sight. "Nice job, Garchomp, now throw it into the other one!" Garchomp snarled while violently twisting its body around before releasing its grip on Krookodile, hurling it at Hydreigon. The impact caused both pokemon to crash into the ground.

"Moon Blast!" Gardevoir began to gather a bright light above its body that took the shape of the moon. By thrusting its hands forward, this light took the form of a gigantic beam that rushed towards Hydreigon and Krookodile. Neither Pokémon could respond in time and they were consumed by the beam of Fairy energy, flying backwards until they crashed into a building, KO'ed. "That takes care of that."

"Ah…." Cravix and Amelia were shocked at how quickly their Shadow Pokémon were beaten. "HOW?!"

"Shadow Pokémon are still Pokémon. They have their limitations." Diantha explained. "Those Pokémon are well trained…but the fact that you've turned them into Shadow Pokémon means you mustn't believe in their strength. For a trainer to be unable to believe in their pokemon to change them so drastically…that alone can be considered a sin."

"We don't have to take that from you!" Amelia exclaimed. "You don't know what we had to go through! Chiper was the only place that would take us in! The Boss gave us a place to stay…"

"Judging by his personality, it was probably just to use you…" Cynthia sighed. "But how does he have so many people on his side for this operation…."

That would be a question for a later date. The cavalry arrived in the form of Looker and the remaining members of the International Police. They rounded up a few other admins and now had Amelia and Cravix surrounded. "Freeze right where you are!"

"Good timing." Cynthia snapped her fingers. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Looker did look a little beat up still, but he was able to keep going. "We're beginning to roundup any Chiper members we can."

"HA!" Amelia poked her tongue out childishly. "Good luck with that. There are more members here than you can count. Plus there's no way your small force can take down any of the Admins. Not while they have the three beasts."

"That's a separate matter entirely…." Diantha couldn't deny that the Admin's were going to be a troublesome matter. It was right around then that Elizabeth's message went through. "Chiper HQ…I believe its best I stay here to assist with those remaining in the city. Cynthia…I have something I'd like you to do as well…"

.

Venus peered at the rising vortex of water from the Tower. Her head titled curiously at such a sight. "Oh? It seems that the Grandmaster's Toy is fighting back…such a shame, but I suppose it wasn't going to be very easy reining in that one to begin with."

"If Ash is fighting back...then I have to too…!" Takeba stayed seated on her Dodrio for movement since her ankle was sprained, all while commanding Blastoise and Vileplume. "Blastoise, Water Pledge!" Blastoise sent its fist crashing into the ground where multiple pillars of water began to rise up rapidly. Just like before, while Steelix was encased within the pillars of water, Suicune stood upon them easily.

Venus shook her head in disappointment as Takeba's trick. "The same trick never works twice, dear…Aurora Beam! Iron Tail!" Suicune fired off another beam of frost while Steelix swung its tail downwards with crushing force.

"Right where I want you! Vileplume, Protect!" Vileplume leapt forward while crossing its stubby arms. An emerald barrier formed around and in front of its body, shielding both Iron Tail and Aurora Beam! With those attacks staved off by Vileplume, this allowed Blastoise and Dodrio to attack! "Blastoise, Aura Sphere! Dodrio, Tri Attack! Go!" Blastoise leaned forward, firing off a homing sphere of energy directly at Suicune, while all three of Dodrio's heads unleashed beams of ice, fire, and lightning towards Steelix!

"You stubborn little…!" Venus grit her teeth. "Suicune…" Before she could issue a command the Aura Sphere collided with Suicune and exploded! The same happened with Steelix, but Venus was more concerned about her beast. "Oh no…! How DARE you hit my darling little Suicune!?"

"Finally…!" Takeba pumped her fist into the air. "Finally, someone hit that thing!"

Now Venus was feeling a little irritated and she brought a hand to her necklace. "Relish in your tiny victory for now, because that's the only victory you're getting! Surf!" Suicune let out a mighty roar as water began to swirl around its body. This water then turned into a massive tidal wave that slowly crept forward, towering above Takeba and her pokemon.

"Watch out…!" Takeba warned her pair, because Dodrio was more focused on keeping Takeba safe and taking her to the higher ground that was a roof. The pinkette had no choice but to watch as Blastoise and Vileplume were swept away from the waves. She wouldn't have been so worried if Venus' next command wasn't as devastating.

"Don't let them hide! Steelix, use Heavy Slam!" The gigantic metal snake leapt high into the sky and dove down right into the middle of the wave! The ensuing impact caused the water to erupt, sending Blastoise and Vileplume flying back until they hit a building!

"Ahhh…!" Takeba cried out. "Are you two okay!?" Taking a Heavy Slam from a Steelix was not a tale many Pokémon could stay conscious to tell about…but Takeba's team was made of tougher stuff than steel! But she could tell they were already getting exhausted. "Damn it…what would he do in a situation like this…"

"Don't think too hard." Venus mocked from below. "You may pop that airhead of yours! Take all the time you need, because I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you."

"How can you still look down on me when I'm literally above you…." Takeba was really getting annoyed by this. "I'm going to need you two to trust me…" Takeba dug in her top for a second before pulling out her Keystone. She activated the Keystone, which allowed it to resonate with Blastoise's Megastone. "Blastoise! Respond to my heart and Mega Evolve!" Blastoise began to undergo metamorphosis before it turned into Mega Blastoise, letting out a roar of its own.

"Oh right, you have one of those…" Venus shrugged. "Do you really think that's going to help you against ME? You're sorely mistaken! Suicune, use Gust!" Suicune's tails began to flap once again, creating a mighty windstorm that started to blow Blastoise and Vileplume away.

"Blastoise use Rapid Spin!" Blastoise tucked its body into its shell, spinning so rapidly that it began to draw in the winds, soon appearing as a miniature tornado! "Now, take out that Steelix!"

"Huh…?!" Venus was not expecting Takeba to have such a trick under her sleeve. "Steelix smack it away with Iron Tail!"

"Stun Spore!" Vileplume rushed forward as the dark horse no one expected to act! The plant released yellow spores from its head that made contact with Steelix, thus inflicting it with paralysis and rendered it unable to move! This brief pause in movement allowed Blastoise to smash its shell against Steelix, sending it flying backwards as Blastoise pushed off to rise higher into the air. "Now, HYDRO PUMP!" Blastoise emerged from its shell, pointing all three of its cannons down at Steelix from its position. Each cannon unleashed a highly pressurized beam of spiraling water that could shatter steel! One could guess what happened next: Steelix being crushed under the unrelenting force of water, appearing KO'ed shortly after Blastoise landed. "Yes…! Nice job!"

"Ooooooooh…..?" Venus quirked a brow at Steelix was defeated. To be frank, the fact that Takeba managed to take out her very adored Mega Steelix pissed her off. But at the same time… "I guess you have some semblance of a brain in there. But I suppose it took about all your brain power just to think of such a simple plan? It doesn't matter…" Venus returned Steelix with an indifferent shrug. "I can tell your Pokémon are getting exhausted already and you've only hit my Suicune once…and I doubt you've done any damage to it either. How much longer do you think you can hold out~?" To that question, Takeba grit her teeth slightly…because she didn't like the answer she had in her head.

.

"Yuup!" Marcus stared up at the tower and the rising pillar of water. "That's gotta be Ash. He acts like he isn't flashy, but he totally is! It's about time he got off his lazy butt and joined us…what's he been doing up there, taking a nap?!" As Marcus spoke, Gallade was putting in work against a few of the Chiper Peons.

"If I had to surmise…I'd say he's up there with a few of our missing party members." Lore spoke before commanding his Sceptile to unleash a powerful Leaf Blade on several opposing pokemon.

"We should hurry so we can help them!" Kayla suggested. But as she said that, it was like the wave of Peons never ended since they just kept sending out more Pokémon! "Ugh, whenever this ends! It's like they keep coming!"

"…Grace is probably up there too…" Marcus muttered. "Now I'm mad that Ash gets all the fun…speaking of…Scott, you doing okay over there!?"

"Just fine!" Scott responded right after Mega Evolving his Manectric. The Swampert/Entei Duo was surprisingly difficult to deal with as Dakim's brute force style suited them well. Blaziken Mask was backing up Scott whenever possible while dealing with Peons along with everyone else. "Wild Charge!" Manetric's body flared in lightning before it lunged forward.

"Flare Blitz!" Entei cloaked its body in a fierce veil of flames and leapt forward, clashing with Manectric. This stalemate didn't last long an explosion occurred, forcing both parties backwards.

"Thunder!" Manectric howled and shot forth a potent beam of lightning towards the beast of fire.

"Swampert!" Swampert merely stood in the way of the Thunder. Due to its ground affinity, it was completely immune. "Now, Rock Tomb!" Swampert slammed its hands on the ground and rocks began to fall from a portal above Darmantian and Manectric, looking to entrap them.

"Psychic!" Darmanitan's eyes lit up as its entire body began to shine. This was just the timing Scott waited for! Once special Darmanitan reached a certain limit, they underwent their own special transformation. Zen-Mode Darmanitan arrived and its psychic powers were boosted! This allowed it to easily grab hold of the falling rocks and return them to the sender!

"Whoa, is that Zen-Mode…?!" Bonnie's eyes lit up in admiration to such a transformation. She was making sure to stay off to the side to not get in anyone's way.

"Guh…! Extreme Speed!" Dakim grunted. With movements faster than the eye could see, Entei dodged the incoming rocks with ease, appearing with not so much as a scratch on it. "You think a flashy transformation is going to save you from this brute force?! Swampert, Hydro Pump!" Swampert slammed both hands on the ground and opened its mouth, unleashing a powerful torrent of water towards Darmanitan.

"Manectric, Thunder!" Manectric stepped forward once again, releasing a powerful bolt of lightning to clash with the Hydro Pump to a draw! The hound took a leap back and snarled.

"Got you now!" Dakim grinned as Entei was in the skies above with fire protruding from its lips. "Fire Blast!"

"Double Team!"

Just before Entei unleashed the massive symbol of flame upon Scott's duo, the pair multiplied with illusory copies! It was hard to tell exactly what happened in that instance as the kanji symbol burned strongly for a few moments until it was reduced to smoke, covering Scott's team from Dakim's eyes. "Don't bother hiding! Come out and face your defeat like a real man?"

"And snoop down your level? Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm in no mood to lose all my IQ points. Manectric, Thunder Fang!" While Entei was still airborne, Manectric lunged from the smoke with its maw wide open, a jaw of lightning forming right in front of his muzzle. Manectric bit down on Entei's side and a small eruption of lightning occurred, sending both hounds back to the ground.

"You little…! Swampert, take that Manetric out with Hammer Arm!" Swampert rushed forward while preparing its large, beefy arm in attempt to crush Manectric before it could recover…but Dakim's moment of blind rage left him open.

"As I predicted: You're open! Darmanitan, Solar Beam!" Scott grinned. Darmanitan appeared from Swampert's blind spot and by the time Dakim noticed it was already too late. Darmanitan gathered solar energy during the time it was hidden and unleashed it all into a bright emerald beam that struck Swampert's chest, sending it soaring into the air where the accumulated energy exploded. Swampert then fell to the ground, landing harshly on its back with swirls in its eyes to signify its defeat. "And that is one down."

"Master Dakim…!" Several Peons were clearly concerned with Scott's performance against Dakim.

"Let's go Scott!" Bonnie cheered.

Dakim returned Swampert before staring at Scott. "HAHA! I have to admit…you got some skill, kid. But skill alone won't help you against pure power. Want to know why?" Entei then roared, shaking the immediate area outside of the Tower as a pillar of flame wrapped around its body, almost reaching the middle of the Lumoise Tower. "Because this heart burns bright for the thrill of battle! Will you be able to satisfy the thirst of Dakim the Crusher!?"

"Ugh…" Scott groaned while keeping his guard up. Entei was going to be perhaps his most challenge opponent so far…and he wasn't entirely sure how he was going to fare against such a mighty beast. "There's nothing worse than an enlightened idiot drunk on power…"

.

"Wild Charge!" Both Luxray and Raikou coated themselves in a wild aura of electricity. The two howled before lunging forward, colliding in the center of the gym where the overload of electricity created a deafening explosion. Both thunder beasts were thrown backwards, just narrowly landing on all fours from the force of impact. "Bunnelby, Mud Shot!" Bunnelby swung its ears forward, releasing several bombs of mud towards Raikou.

"Alakazam, Psybeam!" Alakazam fired off several Psybeams that collided with the Mud Shot, each one exploding upon impact.

"Chespin use Tackle!" With this opening, Chespin pushed forward and slammed its head into Alakazam's chest, knocking it backwards with a full body tackle. "Now Luxray, use Electric Terrian!" Luxray firmly placed one paw on the ground and roared, infusing the gym with its electrical properties as lightning formed all around the field. Clemont's aim was to short circuit the Shadow Machine Ein had sitting in the gym, but to his surprise, not a single part of the machine began to short circuit. "Hmmmm?"

"Oh ho…!" Ein gave Clemont a round of applause. "Clever tactic. It would've worked if I wasn't the one you were dealing with. You see…when you work with a beast of lightning, you have to make sure that any and all machinery you create becomes shock proof. Otherwise this thing would become a real thorn in my side with my inventions."

Clemont adjusted his glasses. There was one theory of his that was confirmed and…he was quite glad about it. "I wouldn't take so much pride in understanding the basics." Elizabeth's report came through on Clemont's communication device at that time.

"Oh? Cheeky little runt, aren't you?" Ein merely shrugged at Clemont's retort. "You can try to play clever, but there's only so much you can do against a genius scientist like me. As for your friends…they're not trying to rescue XD-002 are they? They'll have quite the surprise for them in store. Alakazam, Focus Punch!" Alakazam used its telekinetic abilities to focus power within its arms to compensate for its loss in physical strength. This allowed it to hit harder than a truck as it aimed both fists at Chepsin and Bunnelby; a blow that could very well be a finishing one!"

"Vine Whip! Double Slap!" Clemont knew how to use his pokemon's strengths well. Bunnelby caught one of Alakazam's fists within its ears, only slightly back slightly. Chespin used its vines to wrap around Alakazam's arm, completely stopping it!

"What the…"

"Thunder Fang!" Luxray dashed forward with a jaw of lightning surrounding its maw. The electric type didn't waste any time in lunging forward, metaphorically going for the jugular. Luxray crunched its maw down on Alakazam where a burst of lightning occurred. The mega pokemon was thrown backwards into the machine where it lay in complete defeat. "Yes!"

Ein sucked his teeth in slight annoyance, but he made sure to keep his cool. "Very cute. But it doesn't change a thing in the long run." Ein returned the fallen Alakazam before grinning at Raikou. "Despite how clever you believe yourself to be, you don't have the first clue on how to handle something that outclasses your element, do you?"

Ein was right…even for someone like Clemont, dealing with a pokemon like Raikou was going to be perhaps his toughest challenge yet, and he was not sure that he'd be able to overcome this sacred beast.

.

The sandstorm raged violently on the top of the tower, making it difficult for anyone but Wes and Tyrantiar to see. Ash was going to deal with this as soon as he could to even the playing field. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Greninja formed another large shuriken from behind its back and flung it forward towards the sky where it exploded. This created a makeshift rain that snuffed out the Sandstorm so it would no longer be an issue. "No more of that."

"Oh, clever." Wes shrugged indifferently.

"Now Greninja, use Cut!" Greninja took to the air while forming two kunai from its sides. Once nearing Tyranitar, it swung these blades forward to cut at the Shadow Pokémon.

"Shadow Claw." Not 'Shadow Claw' the ghost type move. Shadow Claw as in the Shadow oriented move. Pitch black darkness formed around Tyranitar's claws and it swung them forward to clash with Greninja's blades. Greninja took a leap backwards before rushing forward, aiming several slashes at Tyrantiar's body. Tyrantiar was surprisingly agile and managed to keep up with Greninja. Seeing how the stalemate was pointless, Greninja preformed a backflip to gain some space. "Don't let is escape! Shadow Beam!" Tyranitar opened up its mouth, releasing a widespread beam of darkness towards Greninja.

"Cut it!" Greninja held its blades in front of its body in an X formation, allowing the beam to curve around it while shooting off into the darkness. Grace ended up having to dive to the side because she almost got hit.

"H-Hey…W-Watch it…!" Grace shouted.

"Sorry…!" It was really hard for Ash to fight alone in such a narrow platform with Grace and Rui currently staying out of the battle. It didn't help that Wes didn't seem to care who or what his attacks hit. "Aerial Ace!" After the Shadow Beam died down, Greninja sprinted forward to approach the towering Tyranitar. Once close, Greninja swung its fist upwards for a roaring uppercut that landed against Tyrantiar's chin, forcing its head up. Greninja then followed up with a swift, powerful axe kick against the Shadow Pokémon's skull to bring its head back down. The combo ended with a swift roundhouse to its face, sending it staggering backwards a step.

"Shadow Beam!" Tyrantiar shrugged off those hits like nothing and opened its mouth once again, firing off another beam of darkness that consumed Greninja at point blank! Greninja flew backwards before recovering with a flip, but it did wince and Ash did as well.

This was unlike any painful sensation he felt when linked with Greninja. Ash held his arm while staring at Wes. "W-What the heck was that…?"

"Sounds like you need a refresher course." Wes sighed. "Shadow moves are super effective on every type of pokemon excluding other Shadow Pokémon. So that sensation you feel are probably the effects of the Shadow Power. Great, isn't it?"

"Tch…" Ash realized this wasn't going to be such an easy one on one, and the rest of his team was still captured so it was about time to free them. "Greninja, Water Shuriken on everyone's binds!" Greninja drew another shuriken from its back and hurled it at the devices that confined the others.

"I don't think so! Shadow Beam!" Tyranitar fired off another beam that destroyed the Water Shuriken before it could even get close. Ash had a look of surprise as Wes interrupted his plan. "Sorry, but this isn't going to go the way you think. I'd be a fool to let you free your pokemon. But that just means you're not confident you can beat Tyranitar i 1? I wouldn't blame you. This pokemon's heart has been drowned in the shadows ever since we met it…"

"…You never purified it…you just tricked me…" Rui mumbled. Her heart was still broken, her mind was still confused. Everything she knew was probably a lie, but she still couldn't find it in herself to side against Wes in battle. She still couldn't give up on him…

"Double Team!" Greninja sprinted forward while creating multiple illusory copies of itself.

"Shadow Beam." Once again, Tyrantiar fired off another beam. This one was used to mow down any and all Greninja copies which did form in a cloud of smoke.

"Water Shuriken!" The real Greninja appeared from the smoke with a shuriken already at the ready. With a forceful throw, this shuriken hit its mark and Tyranitar cried out while stumbling backwards.

"Shadow Break!" Tyranitar's entire body was swallowed within darkness. It appeared before Greninja in an instant and chopped its body. The impact was so strong Greninja flew backwards before landing on its back and Ash let out a small cry of pain. "Don't disappoint me now. I know you're made of tougher stuff than that…"

"Ugh…" Ash groaned as Greninja stood back up. They weren't going to back down…but this Tyranitar was incredibly strong. This was different than fighting Kasumi's Shadow Dragonite a few days ago. Something whisked by Ash's team, releasing them from their captivity. They all fell next to Ash, leaving just about everyone confused. "Huh…?"

Mega Salamance flew around before landing next to Grace and her Venusaur. She patted Salamance on the head for a job well done. "Thanks, Salamance…"

"Grace…?" Ash tilted his head.

"I…I won't sit around and do nothing anymore." Grace explained. "I've already come this far to help Kasumi…m-maybe a Time Flute is the only way to help her…maybe not! All I know…is that I've come too far to stop now! She needs my…no…our help. Shouldering everything alone is what started this…"

"Are you going to fight?" Ash asked with a widening grin. He could see that spark in Grace's eyes returning.

"Mhm." Grace nodded. "Please allow me to help you! I want to pay this guy back for everything he's done. You hurt Kasumi…countless pokemon…You've made Rui cry…and all she did was believe in you. I could go on."

"Oh?" Wes tilted his head. "You both want to take me on? Hahahahaha…! Now that's rich! Things are getting very interesting now! I suppose I should raise the bar as well!" Wes drew forth two pokeballs from his trench coat pocket. "Umbreon! Espeon!" From the two spheres, Wes' two starters appeared. Umbreon and Espeon snarled while staring at their opponents. These two were extremely loyal pokemon…no matter what the circumstance.

"Umbreon…Espeon…" Rui mumbled from behind Wes.

"Oh, we're not done here yet. This is the product of research!" Wes held up his Snag Machine, the Keystone embedded within the device responding to Tyrantiar's. "Tyranitar, respond to the darkness in your heart…"

"What?!" Rui perked up at this. "A Shadow Pokémon shouldn't be able to…!"

"Mega Evolve!" Lines of darkness connected the two stones. Tyranitar's body was swallowed in a sphere of darkness that soon exploded. Mega Evolution was normally only supposed to occur when a trainer and pokemon's hearts shared a near unbreakable bond and took intense training to master. But here was Wes with his Shadow Mega Tyranitar. Rui had to cover her own eyes because the darkness emanating from this twisted Mega Evolution was nearly too much for her to bear at a first glance.

"What the…!?" Ash and Grace were on their guard.

"Shadow Mega Evolution." Wes explained with a chuckle. "Quite the creation, don't you think? Took ages for this thing to finally listen to my commands…but it's well worth it. I can say with confidence that this is the second strongest shadow pokemon in existence, right behind Mewtwo over there. Do you still want to fight me?"

"We're not going to fight you…" Ash said while tightening his hand into a fist. "It doesn't matter what you throw at us…we're going to beat you!"

"That's the attitude I like to hear…" Wes grinned. "Very well then…have it your way. Come."

.

Several explosions occurred just south of the Lumoise Tower. Mewtwo was firing off rapid Shadow Balls in Zygarde 10%'s direction, but the hound was incredibly swift and evaded each one. Once Zygarde found a safe spot it unleashed a Dragon Pulse. The beam of energy exploded upon Mewtwo's torso and sent it flying back only slightly. Whether or not damage had been done was hard to determine. _"Shadow Pokémon…a horrid experimentation on the human's part…"_

"Perish." Mewtwo swiped its hand forward twice in an X formation, sending two crescent blades of kinetic energy down at Zygarde. Zygarde narrowly evaded both of these blades and good thing too, since they exploded violently and took several buildings with them.

Once Zygarde landed, it snarled at Mewtwo. It didn't matter who it was…anyone that dared to threaten the safety of Kalos and its people had to answer to its defender since ancient times: Zygarde. _"If you still cannot hear my voice…then I have no choice but to stop you with brute force."_

.

.

Next Time: Clash Between Legends! Zygarde vs. Mewtwo!


	62. Chapter 62: Zygarde vs Mewtwo

Rui watched as Wes prepared to battle Ash and Grace. She brought a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pang. "A-Are you really going to fight…?"

"Fight? No, of course not." Wes responded while grinning towards Ash and Grace. "Fighting implies they have a chance at winning." With Rui not taking a side in this fight, it was better that she stayed on the sidelines.

"You're awfully confident for someone who got dropped pretty early in the tournament." Grace shot at Wes. "Ash beat you once already…as did Scott and Elizabeth. You really think you're any kind of intimidating with that track record?"

"Oh…you mean the tournament? As in a recreational activity? Yeah…I didn't give a shit about that." Wes replied. His choice of words made Rui gasp and she'd scold him if she wasn't so hurt at the moment. "Ash-Greninja caught me off guard in the beginning I admit…but after that I was just trying to throw all my fights. I never cared about winning with my operation in place. In Orre, I won every single tournament and conquered the Mt. Battle challenge. That's 100 battles in a row, for your information. If I wanted to win that silly joke of a tournament, I would've."

"…He's a little annoying when he's boasting like that." Ash said with a sweat drop. But all of that aside, this was a serious matter. "But that doesn't matter now. If you've lost once…then you can lose again."

"Betting the entire world of light on that, are we? I'm game." Wes chuckled. "Very well then…come at me. I have all day…but I doubt you do."

"Let's go! Pikachu use Thunderbolt! Goodra use Dragon Pulse!" It was time for the real battle to begin. Pikachu and Goodra darted forward; Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning towards Espeon, while Goodra released a multicolored beam of energy towards Umbreon and Tyranitar.

Wes shook his head at Ash's attack. "Let us begin. Espeon Psybeam. Umbreon, Dark Pulse." Espeon and Umbreon leapt forward first while opening their mouths. Espeon unleashed a beam of kinetic energy towards the incoming Thunderbolt while Umbreon unleashed a ray of darkness at the Dragon Pulse. All four attacks collided and exploded, creating a large cloud of smoke between the battlers. "Swift." Espeon used its telekinetic powers to track Pikachu and Goodra. Once it had their locations it sprang forward and swung its tail forward, unleashing an array of stars that struck Ash's two pokemon, causing them to stumble backwards. "Shadow Beam!" Tyranitar's maw opened up and a massive blast of darkness launched towards his opposition!

No matter how strong he may have been, Grace wasn't about to let Wes have his way in this fight. "Fire Blast! Solar Beam!" Venusaur gathered solar energy within its bulb while Salamance had flames protruding from its mouth. Before the Shadow Beam could grow near, both of Grace's pokemon unleashed their respective attacks to clash with the Beam and exploded on contact. "Now!"

This was the opening Ash needed to strike! "Noivern, Boomburst!" With Noivern's echolocation, detecting Umbreon, Espeon, and Tyranitar was a breeze. Once Noivern was in the sky it reared its head back before releasing an extremely powerful wave of sound in the trio's direction.

"Light Screen!" Espeon jumped forward while creating a barrier of light around its team mates. This barrier sharply decreased the power of opposing special attacks. The Boomburst that made contact had its power reduced and the damage dealt cut. "Iron Tail!" Umbreon leapt onto Espeon's back and used it as leverage to jump higher into the air as its tail shone brightly. Umbreon smashed its tail into Noivern's side, sending it rocketing down towards the ground.

"Talonflame, use Steel Wing!" With Umbreon stuck in the air it was an easy target. Talonflame flew forward and slammed one of its wings into Umbreon's chest, causing it to fall out of the sky from impact.

"Espeon, Swift!" Espeon swung its tail forward once again, causing another array of stars to launch at Talonflame, Noivern, and Salamance. All three of them flew used their aerodynamic maneuverability to fly around and evade the stars, but it really did keep them busy and prevented them from doing much else.

"Quick Attack!" Pikachu gathered all of its speed and began to dart forward, ramming its skull into Umbreon's face, sending the dark type staggering back a step.

"Payback!" Not even a second after Pikachu's attack did Wes respond. Umbreon gathered darkness within its body before rushing forward, swiping its paw at Pikachu's face with more than enough power to send it tumbling back. Payback's power doubled if the user had been attacked just prior, so Pikachu took a hard hit for sure.

"Are you okay!?" Ash asked. Pikachu stood up slowly and nodded. Ash was starting to get the sense of what Wes was talking about; this was a completely different feeling than battling him in the tournament. The stakes were higher than before as well. "He's tough…"

"We have to do something about that Tyranitar first and foremost." Said Grace. "Follow my lead…I think I have a plan."

"You think?" That wasn't exactly the most inspirational thing to say…but Ash was going to go along with it anyway.

"Are we done trading secrets?" Wes asked. "Good. Now then…Shadow Beam." Tyranitar's maw opened up once more to release a devastating beam towards the pair.

"Venusaur, hold it off with Solar Beam!" Venusaur unleashed a beam of solar energy to clash with the beam of darkness! The two held strong before exploding against one another, the wind pressure forcing everyone to cover their eyes. "Now Ash!"

"Pikachu use Iron Tail! Greninja use Cut!" Pikachu and Greninja darted forward while preparing their attacks, both of which Wes was ready to counter.

"Umbreon, Espeon, Iron Tail!" Umbreon and Espeon both darted forward. Umbreon's tail clashed with Pikachu's while Greninja's blade clashed with Espeon's.

This was precisely what Ash and Grace were looking for. With Tyranitar not being covered by the Eeveelution pair, it was open to strike! "Hawlucha, High Jump Kick!" From the aforementioned smoke of the explosion, Hawlucha leapt forward with a caw. Both legs swung forward, striking Tyrantiar's broad chest with both legs! The impact of the super effective hit made Tyranitar take a step back as Pikachu and Greninja leapt back from their opponents. "We got it!"

"A solid hit!" Grace grinned.

"Not bad." Wes admitted with a shrug. "But if you think your parlor tricks are going to work against me anymore…you're sorely mistaken. But I'll show you a few special tricks of my own. Dark Pulse! Pysbeam!" Umbreon and Espeon both leapt forward while gathering the respective attacks within their mouths Espeon unleashed a beam of kinetic energy while Umbreon unleashed nothing but raw darkness. The two attacks merged midway through to form a large, potent beam of rainbow/darkness that soared towards the opposition! One look was more than enough to tell that it was deadly!

"Goodra use Bide!" Goodra took a step forward as a red glow flared around its body. It tanked the duo move from two Eeveelutions, letting out a groan of pain while sliding backwards. The beam exploded against Goodra and the damage was more than noticeable, but Goodra was nothing if not a tank so it was still standing! "FIRE!" Goodra roared while opening its mouth, releasing a gigantic beam of pure destruction! The damage Goodra took was more than doubled and the panic showed on Umbreon and Espeon's face.

"Shadow Break!" Tyranitar did not flinch in the face danger. The monster merely stepped forward as darkness wrapped around its fist. With a solid punch, Tyranitar clashed with the unleashed Bide energy, holding strong before shattering and dispersing the energy to nothing! Ash and Grace had shocked expressions on their face while Wes stared at them with a sinister grin. "As I said…it's going to take much more effort than you two are capable of to get the best of me."

.

Mewtwo pointed its hand down towards Zygarde, releasing countless Shadow Balls in its direction. Zygarde moved in a zig-zag pattern, evading the spheres of darkness as they exploded around it. Zygarde lifted its head up, opening its mouth before unleashing a Dragon Pulse. This thing exploded against Mewtwo, although it was unclear if any damage was dealt. Zygarde slid to a halt to prepare for Mewtwo's next attack. _"…"_

Mewtwo flew down from the smoke, placing its hand on the ground. Using its enhanced telekinetic powers, along with the shadow power within its body, Mewtwo unleashed a powerful shockwave that tore the ground asunder while racing towards Zygarde. "Fall."

Zygarde placed its paw firmly on the ground. With a loud howl, Zygarde called forth the power of the very earth itself. A green shockwave spread out from the hound's position, tearing the ground apart while racing towards Mewtwo's shockwave. Land's Wrath collided with the opposing power, eventually causing an eruption that completely demolished the city street. Zygarde wasted no time and began to sprint forward. Extreme Speed was in use and with the momentum the Kalos defender had it slammed its skull into Mewtwo's abdomen. The impact was forceful, however not quite what Zygarde was looking for.

Mewtwo grunted from the impact before swiping its hand forward, creating a blade of black ice along its arm. Before Zygarde could retreat, Mewtwo slashed this blade of ice across the hound's chest and it was incredibly effective. Zygarde howled in pain while being thrown backwards, just narrowly managing to land on all fours. Mewtwo didn't let up and began to pursue, extending a hand forward to unleash a Shadow Beam towards Zygarde. The hound could only hop backwards to avoid the beam and the massive explosion that ensued. These two were only causing more destruction in the city, but Shadow Mewtwo was the only one that didn't seem to mind.

Zygarde finally got its bearings straight and began to sprint forward once again by use of Extreme Speed. Before it got close, the hound leapt forward, using its cells to change its move set at the last second. The hound's tail shone brightly and it swung it down fiercely atop Mewtwo's skull, forcing the head of the shadow pokemon to recoil! Zygarde then spun around with its maw open, unleashing a point blank Dragon Pulse at the opposition. This succeeded in throwing Mewtwo backwards into the sky! Upon landing, Zygarde roared once more as an emerald shine began to permeate through the cracks of the ground. Multiple beams of energy began shooting forth from the cracks in the ground, all of these 'arrows' of light racing towards Mewtwo from all angles.

"ENOUGH!" Mewtwo forced itself to a halt in the air. Mewtwo unleashed yet another Shadow Beam onto the Thousand Arrows, causing each and every single one to explode before it could reach. The legendary then pointed its hand down to the ground where an eruption of shadow power occurred on Zygarde. The explosion was so strong that Zygarde flew backwards, losing all of the cells it gathered as it reverted back to its single cell state. This wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't now fighting off the shadow energy trying to reach its mind! If Zygarde became a Shadow Pokémon….

.

While Bonnie was watching the others deal with Dakim and his forces, her eyes suddenly widened and she glanced in the direction of the shadow explosion. "Squishy's in danger!" It was a sixth sense. Without even waiting for the others she began to run off on her own.

"What the…Bonnie, wait! It's dangerous!" Blaziken Mask and his Blaziken had to hurry off after her!

"Looks like I'm up…you guys got this…?" Marcus looked over his shoulder at Scott, Kayla, and Lore. Entei and Manectric just finished another clash at this second.

"We'll be fine. Go!" Scott didn't look Marcus' way since he couldn't afford to take his eyes of Dakim or Entei.

"Right…!" Marcus nodded. With that, he and Gallade were off!

.

"Oh…?" Ein turned back, noticing the machine's reading getting stronger and stronger. "Well, well…it appears that Shadow Mewtwo is putting in much more work than I thought it would…"

"What happened…!?" Clemont demanded to know what could be more important than the battle happening.

"It seems Mewtwo's ability to infect other Pokémon with shadow energy is extremely effective. Another Shadow Pokémon will be added to our arsenal…and when that happens, your little rebellion against us won't last much longer."

.

"And when that happens…" Wes was continuing off of Ein's statement, speaking to Ash, Grace, and Rui. "We win. Zygarde will be ours within a matter of moments…as you can see, not even a legendary pokemon can withstand the power of darkness."

"Z-Zygarde is here…?" Ash titled his head…but that wasn't of any concern right now. The important part was that Zygarde may be falling into darkness. But there wasn't any way for them to save it…!

"With no Time Flutes…your struggle is looking a little grim, isn't it?" Wes questioned.

Rui placed a hand on her chest. Plusle tried to comfort her…but it wasn't working. "…."

.

Mewtwo floated above the struggling Zygarde with a hand pointed forward. Another Shadow Ball was at the ready and was launched without any hesitation. Before it could actually reach Zygarde, however, a blade of kinetic energy sliced it in half and caused a small explosion. Mewtwo floated back while glancing in the direction the scythe came from. "…?"

"Just in time…!" Marcus let out a sigh of relief. On the trip there, Marcus Mega Evolved Gallade just to give them a boost in power considering the fight they were up against.

"Squishy…!" Bonnie rushed over to the Zygarde Cell and lifted it up into her arms. She was worried because the black sparks dancing around its body were reminiscent of what happened to Kasumi.

"What the heck is that thing doing here…?" Marcus shrugged. "Whatever…get it to safety! I'll hold this thing off until it decides it wants to fight again!"

"Come…" Blaziken Mask hurried Bonnie off to around a corner. He wasn't sure what could be done for Squishy as it tried to fight off the shadow energy, but there had to be something…

"All right ugly…" Marcus pointed at Mewtwo. "You're doing a little too much damage around here. I don't know how Chiper got a hold of you…but it's time for them to let go! Gallade, Vacuum Wave!" Gallade sprinted forward before sliding to a halt with its arm extended. A fierce wind tunnel exploded from Gallade's arm, aiming to draw Mewtwo in…but the opposite happened! Mewtwo drew Gallade in and used its tail to slam Gallade down into the ground. "Ack…! Are you okay?!" Gallade groaned while slowly standing back up. The Knight wasn't about to be done in so easily!

"A nuisance…all should fall to the power of darkness…" Mewtwo formed two blades of darkness along its arms before flying forwards towards Gallade!

"Close Combat!" Gallade's blades sharpened and it rushed forward to fight with Mewtwo! The two clashed and sparks collided. Gallade pulled back and aimed a kick at Mewtwo's face which did land, followed by a slicing uppercut. While both hits did connect it was hard to say if any damage was being dealt. Regardless the assault continued and Gallade aimed a spinning kick at Mewtwo's chest. This was avoided and Mewtwo's elbow met with Gallade's back. Mewtwo's physical strength was more than Marcus expected as Gallade was sent tumbling along the street before coming to a halt several yards away. "Gallade…!"

"Fall." Mewtwo lifted its hands into the air as darkness began to swarm around its body. Multiple Shadow Balls began raining down on the area, causing large explosions within a wide radius.

"Vacuum Wave!" Gallade stood back up and extended its arm to create another wind tunnel. This tornado caught several Shadow Balls before they hit the ground and sent them all back towards Mewtwo! Mewtwo didn't expect this to happen and had little time to react, crossing its arms to soften the blow of its own attacks. Several explosions occurred around Mewtwo, but the smoke cloud wasn't about to be its savior. "Now, Night Slash!" Gallade ran up a building before pushing off while rearing one of its bladed arms back. Once close to Mewtwo, Gallade swung down diagonally, cleaving across Mewtwo's abdomen! He was trying to slice the orange crystal protruding from Mewtwo's shoulder, but it just narrowly missed!

Mewtwo used its tail to wrap around Gallade's arm and violently swung it at a building! There was no time wasted as a Focus Blast was aimed in Gallade's direction; this move looking to obliterate the building. "Perish."

"Scizor, Flash Cannon!" Marcus quickly threw another pokeball forward. The capsule opened to reveal Scizor, who immediately fired off a Flash Cannon. The Flash Cannon didn't clash with the Focus Blast, but it did manage to push it away from the building. Marcus let out a sigh of relief. "…Shadow Mewtwo…if this thing gets any more powerful…" The only reason Marcus was standing a chance at survival now was because deep down, Mewtwo was still resisting the shadow energy that corrupted its body. But even so, Mewtwo was still a dangerous adversary that they didn't have an answer for…

.

"Salamance, Aerial Ace!" Salamance flew forward with its claw reared backwards, aiming to strike Tyrantiar.

"Tyranitar, Shadow Break." Darkness formed around Tyranitar's fist and it swung forward just as Salamance neared. The two clashed for a second before Mega Salamance was overpowered and thrown backwards due to the sheer force of the shadow energy.

"Ah…!" Grace looked back, but luckily Salamance was still capable of fighting. "Okay…Venusaur, Petal Blizzard!" Venusaur roared while a vortex of pink petals formed around its body. This tornado was then sent forward towards Umbreon and Espeon.

"Dodge!" Umbreon and Espeon glanced at one another before nothing. Umbreon was the first one to leap into the air to avoid the Petal Blizzard. Espeon then hopped on top of Umbreon and pushed itself even higher into the air! "Now Swift!" Espeon swung its tail forward, unleashing another countless array of stars down towards the opposition.

"Hawlucha, on Noivern's back!" Hawlucha leapt onto Noivern's back as it began to dodge the swift, flying left and right to avoid contact. It was unable to avoid everything and ended up getting shot down by several stars.

"Heh…Nice try kid," Wes grinned…but he didn't notice the smirk on Ash's face.

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha emerged from the smoke unscathed! With a flip, Hawlucha locked both of its legs around Espeon's neck in midair!

Now Wes was surprised. "What the…!?"

"NOW!" Hawlucha used its momentum to spin around before releasing Espeon, tossing the psychic type on its neck and hurling it into the midair Umbreon! The two crashed into one another and right into Tyranitar! "Flying Press!" Continuing to ride its momentum, Hawlucha spun around before descending down upon the opposing trio, where its impact caused an explosion! All three were damage from Hawlucha's Flying Press. After impact Hawlucha spun around in the air and posed.

"Nice one!" Grace high fived Ash….but they weren't expecting Tyranitar to retaliate on its own so fast. A Shadow Beam was unleashed and consumed Hawlucha. The luchador was thrown backwards and off the tower…! "Venusaur!" Grace's command could not have come at a better time. Venusaur unleashed some vines to wrap around the now KO'ed Hawlucha and bring it to safety. "It's down…I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Ash nodded and returned Hawlucha. "You've done an amazing job today…rest well and leave the rest to us."

"That was a pretty cheeky trick…" Wes admitted. The damage was starting to show on Umbreon and Espeon while Tyranitar showed no signs of backing down. "But it's going to take more than that…"

.

Bonnie held the struggling Zygarde in her arms. She wasn't entirely sure what to do to help her friend Squishy. But she knew it was fighting really hard for them and she just had to return the favor somehow. "Squishy…"

"It's dangerous…" Blaziken Mask said.

"I don't care! Squishy is my friend and it's in pain!" Bonnie shouted back. "I have to help it…everyone's fighting so hard. I want to do my part too! Even if I can help Squishy fight again and save it from its pain…that's more than enough for me!"

Under the mask…his eyes widened. When did daughter start growing up so fast? Still so young, but strong as well. "Bonnie…"

Bonnie just did the first thing that came to mind, and that was sing. There was a special song she always sang to her dear Squishy. "I love my mysterious Squishy so much…tech me more about you. Where did you come from? Why is Mister Sun your food? When you and I have nuzzled, we're already friends. We'll always be together…I'll protect you!" The more Bonnie sang to her Squishy, the less it started to struggle and squirm. The black sparks slowly receded as it calmed down and a puff of black smoke expelled from its body. Squishy opened its eye and started at Bonnie, having been able to expel the shadow energy from its body thanks to her words. "Ah…! Squishy are you okay now!?" To that, it nodded.

 _"_ _Thank you, Bonnie…"_ Zygarde nodded before hopping out of her arms and forward once again. This time…the presence of many could be felt as multiple cells began to converge along Zygarde. _"Now I have to bring forth my power to face against this menace…"_

.

"Gah!" Gallade, Scizor, and even Marcus himself were thrown backwards by Mewtwo's might. Marcus looked as though he'd seen better days while his two pokemon were struggling to stand up. He'd only managed to buy a few minutes and it didn't look like he'd be able to last much longer. "I don't suppose…you want to take a break…?" He offered a smile in the face of danger…but it didn't look like Mewtwo was amused and held its hand down towards him, preparing a rather large Shadow Ball. "That's a no…." Before Mewtwo could fire off the Shadow Ball, Zygarde emerged in its 50% form, crashing into Mewtwo. Unlike last time, this strike was extremely potent and sent Mewtwo crashing through a few buildings! "What the…!?"

Zygarde didn't let up there. It inhaled before throwing its head forward, unleashing a widespread Dragon Pulse that sliced through the street and struck Mewtwo as it was recovering. The ensuring explosion spread out for yards while shaking the very earth. "Yeah! Go Squishy…!" Bonnie cheered with Denede.

"T-That's SQUISHY?!" Marcus' eyes widened as he stared at Zygarde. "Holy crap…!"

.

.

The Chiper Infiltration group did find a helicopter and began to leave the Lumoise City area. There was worry as they glanced at the city…but they did notice the several explosions coming from the southwest side. "W-What was that…?" Serena peered out of the window.

"Oh ho, sounds like some real explosive battling going on down there!" Miror B remarked.

"If you keep referring to this as a joke, I'm going to push you off this helicopter…" Elizabeth cut her eyes at Miror B.

"Feisty~" Miror B responded with a slight purr.

"…I'm uncomfortable." Elizabeth shuddered.

It was around then that Marcus used his communicator to connect with everyone else. _"Yeah! Hey guys! So…don't mind the gigantic serpentine dragon brawling it out with Mewtwo on the streets. That's a friend."_

"Huh…?" Jessie tilted her head. "W-What did he mean by that…?"

"You can't just say things like that! What does that even mean!?" Elizabeth stared out the helicopter window and noticed Zygarde pushing Mewtwo back across the city. "W-What!? What the heck is that!?"

 _"_ _Go Squishy! Kick its butt!"_ That was Bonnie's voice in the background amidst all the chaos.

"T-THAT'S SQUISHY?!" Elizabeth and Serena were quite surprised by this revelation.

.

"Huh…" All attention was likely on Zygarde vs. Mewtwo. Even on the top of the tower the battlers took a brief pause to examine the clash between legends. Wes still had a slight grin on his lips despite the situation. "Zygarde…the defender of Kalos. I suppose it wouldn't be so easy if we managed to turned you into a Shadow Pokémon so easily…"

"That's Zygarde…?!" Grace's eyes widened. "Wait…that's Squishy!? Did you know about this?!"

Ash shook his head. "N-No, I didn't…!"

"So that little girl was taking care of Zygarde all this time and nobody had a clue? I'm not sure if you're all just stupid or…no, that's probably it." Wes shrugged.

"We're not out of the game just yet!" Grace shouted.

"But you're not in it either. If you haven't noticed…My Admins are still active, my Peons are still working their way through the city…and Chiper HQ is still clean. You've done nothing but hopelessly fight back and you've nothing to show for it." Wes explained. "Do you really still think you can win after this?"

"Do you have to fight at all…" Rui asked…but it didn't seem like anyone heard her.

"We're not done yet! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu leapt into the air while gathering a large amount of lightning within its body. But a voice over the communicator made everything stop.

 _"_ _Ugh. Hello? Is this thing on?"_ That was…Venus' voice! She had a hold of Takeba's communicator!? _"Ahem! Well, listen here side of light. I have here a certain someone who believed they could stand up to me!"_

 _"_ _O-Ow…that's my hair…! L-Let me go…"_ And that…was Takeba. It didn't sound like her confrontation with Venus went as well as she wanted it to.

 _"_ _Now listen here…I'm absolutely appalled that you sent this bumbling idiot to face me. Do you really think so little of me to think she'd be able to bring me down? I'm not fool! Now I'm going to decide what it is I should do with her…but this may be the last time you hear from Takeba Vermillion. I hope you all said your goodbyes beforehand. This is Lady Venus signing off~"_ Before anyone else could utter a single syllable…the line went dead. Venus crushed the communicator under her foot, grinding Clemont's creation into scrap metal.

.

.

Next Time: Gale of Darkness


	63. Chapter 63: Gale of Darkness

"T-Takeba…!" Grace grabbed her communicator and tried to contact Takeba's once again…but it was of no use. The line was dead and there was no way to reach her now as she was alone with Venus in the city. "Why was she facing Venus alone!?"

"Because she is, quite simply put, an idiot." Wes responded. "Although…I think the bigger idiots would be those who actually let her go off on her own to fight Venus. She knew precisely what she was getting into and yet everyone let her go off alone."

Rui looked over to the city. The darkened clouds over the horizon made it difficult to see anything but the constant explosions of Zygarde's brawl with Mewtwo, or the trainer's clash with Chiper agents. She bit her lip while trying to take in the situation. "Takeba…"

"But don't worry…you'll be joining her fate as losers soon enough." Wes turned his attention back to the battle. "Now then…Umbreon Dark Pulse! Espeon Swift!" Umbreon and Espeon both darted forward. Umbreon unleashed a spiral of darkness from its mouth while Espeon swung its tail forward to unleash a rain of stars down towards Ash and Grace's Team.

"Goodra, Dragon Pulse! Noivern, Supersonic!" Goodra and Noivern rushed forward. Goodra unleashed a multicolored beam of energy that clashed and exploded against the Dark Pulse, while Noivern's Supersonic blocked the Swift. Explosions occurred all over the place, nearly blowing everyone off the tower.

"Geez…! He just doesn't quit!" Grace groaned while shielding her eyes from the wind kicked up from all of these attacks colliding. "It's almost like he's trying to blow us off the tower itself…!"

"Maybe!" Wes remarked with a widening grin. "Tyrantiar! Shadow Edge!" Tyrantiar roared before slamming its fist into the tower. This caused black stones to rise up from the ground sporadically. The airborne pokemon did their best to evade the rising stones…but neither Ash nor Grace noticed Umbreon and Espeon using the stones to ascend high into the air. "Iron Tail!" Both Eeveelutions swung their tails down on Talonflame and Noivern from opposite sides, the impact so fierce both airborne Pokémon were forced down into the ground. "Dark Pulse! Psybeam!" Umbreon fired off a Dark Pulse that shot down an unprepared Salamance while Psybeam forced Venusaur backwards.

"Salamance! Venusaur..!" Grace rushed over to her two pokemon worriedly. "Venusaur, come back…I'll save you for later." Grace returned Venusaur while Salamance rose back into the sky.

"Shadow Beam again." Tyranitar roared once more before unleashing another Shadow Beam towards Ash and Grace's team.

"Goodra, Ice Beam!" Goodra rushed forward while throwing its head forward, unleashing a powerful beam of ice to clash with the Shadow Beam. The two attacks met for only a few seconds before the Shadow Beam overpowered the Ice Beam. The Shadow Beam continued to push forward before exploding against Goodra. The impact was so strong Goodra was thrown into the air before landing on its back in defeat. "Goodra…!" Ash hurried over to Goodra to see if it was okay. It was, just a little beat up after taking such powerful attacks. "Thank you too. Please take a good rest." Ash returned Goodra with a smile. Once standing up he glared at Wes with a slight sweat drop. As a trainer…Wes was phenomenal.

"He's so tough…what gives…?" Grace whispered, not wanting to inflate Wes' ego any more than it already was. "Was he really holding back in the tournament the entire time…?"

"So, who's going down next?" Wes asked as Umbreon, Espeon, and Mega Tyranitar returned to their original formation. Greninja, Pikachu, Noivern, and Talonflame were all Ash had left, while Grace kept Salamance out over Venusaur for aerial advantage.

"…Wes…" This was precisely what Rui was afraid of now. She knew just how good a trainer Wes was. This was the reason she was hyping him up in the early stages of the tournament. Wes was a fantastic trainer…better than Ash and Grace combined. But if they really were in a high stakes fight, he was likely the one to come out on top at this rate.

.

"Hahaha…how about that? It seems your counter attack isn't going as planned…" Ein said in reference to Venus' message about Takeba. "If that idiot at her best couldn't beat Venus, I believe that goes to show how fruitless the situation is for the rest of you."

"…" Clemont remained silent. He was worried about Takeba for sure, but he had his own task to take care of inside the tower. He couldn't afford to be swayed by his worries, especially when there wasn't anything he could do. "Bunnelby Dig! Chespin, Pin Missile!" While Bunnelby burrowed its way into the ground, Chespin fired off several needles from its quills that flew off at all angles to surrounded Raikou.

"Thunder." Raikou unleashed an exceptionally powerful bolt of lightning from its body, which was boosted by the still active Electric Terrain. The Thunder blasted through the Pin Missile and struck Chespin, sending it flying back into a wall.

"Chespin…!" Clemont cried out worriedly. But it was at this time that Bunnelby rose from the ground, slamming itself right into Raikou's face for some damage!

"Hidden Power!" Raikou recovered quickly from the Dig and created multiple spheres of unidentifiable energy and sent them all towards Bunnelby.

"Mud Shot!" Bunnelby whipped its ears forward to send several bombs of mud at the incoming Hidden Power. It was almost a perfect clash, but several orbs struck Bunnelby and sent it flying backwards near Chespin. "Ah! Luxray, Wild Charge!" Luxray howled as each individual hair on its mane began crackling with electricity. Soon, the electric type was enveloped in a fierce aura of lightning and it sprinted forward towards the sacred beast of thunder.

"Wild Charge." Ein commanded calmly. Raikou mirrored Luxray's roar and began dashing forward as lightning flared around its body. The two collided in the middle of the gym and an explosion occurred, sending Luxray back more so than Raikou, as if the difference in power wasn't clear enough already. "Heh…you're running out of steam, boy. I can see it in your eyes. You know you cannot win…so I will offer my proposal to you one more time. Give up now and join us at Chiper…your young mind could be turned into something brilliant."

"If that includes turning out like you…then I'll have to decline." Clemont responded as his team started to get back up.

"Shame…" Ein shrugged casually. "Then I'll just have to erase you."

.

"Takeba's in trouble!? Ugh, that moron!" Kayla said while commanding Togekiss to take out several Chiper Peons with Extreme Speed. But still, the more she took out the more they just kept coming! "Where are these guys spawning from!?"

"HAHA!" Dakim laughed at the situation. "I didn't know you guys were stupid enough to send that idiot after Venus!"

"I don't think the man whose brain is made of muscle has the right to talk about stupidity." Scott quipped to get Dakim's attention back on their battle. Manectric dropped from the sky with a powerful Thunder Fang at the ready, but Entei evaded it at the last second. "Tch!"

"You talk a lot for a wimp!" Dakim said while slamming his fists together. "Don't make me come over there and punch you now!" He was serious about this too. Dakim was the type of man who cared not who stood in his way; he'd use brute force to get through them. "Entei, Fire Blast!" Entei reared its head back before emitting a massive stream of flame towards Scott's Team.

"Evade!" Scott commanded. Both Manectric and Darmanitan hastily escaped the blast radius of the growing flame. The psychic had to bring up his arm to shield his eyes from the wind. "We have to go help Takeba. I knew it was a bad idea to let her go alone, but that woman persisted…"

"It will be difficult to assist our busty pinkette friend when she's who knows where in this city…" Lore remarked. Sceptile slid forward while slashing several pokemon with Leaf Blade. "It appears we've made a horrible miscalculation."

"Oh, don't worry. Venus won't do anything too bad." Dakim's idea of 'too bad' wasn't the same as everyone else's, which only made them worry even more. "But should you really be focused on her right now anyway? Entei, Bulldoze!" Entei howled before slamming its paws on the ground, creating a shockwave that shook the very earth. Not only was Scott's team affected, but Sceptile and even the surrounding Chiper Peons' Pokémon had to deal with Entei's might!

.

"Damn it…" Marcus cursed under his breath. He was resting against some rubble along with Gallade and Scizor while Zygarde handled Mewtwo. "I shouldn't have let her go alone…"

"But if you didn't help with Mewtwo, Squishy could've been really hurt…!" Bonnie objected. It was true. Marcus did buy just enough time for Zygarde to recover its strength and actually put up a fight against Shadow Mewtwo, but that didn't stop the worry he felt for Takeba.

"I know…but that girl's a mess." Marcus groaned while slowly standing back up. "I should look for her before it's too late…the others are preoccupied with the Admins…although I can't imagine things going well with Takeba on the brain…"

"Are you sure you can even walk in your condition? Not to mention, where do plan on looking? They could be anywhere in this city by now." Blaziken Mask questioned. Of course he would bring up the one point that put a dent in the plan.

"Does it matter? She's in trouble and I have to help her…!" Marcus groaned. To answer the one question, no, walking was not advisable right now.

"You have to stay down for now…!" Bonnie frowned.

"Oi…Blaziken Mask, right? Keep an eye on Bonnie. I'm going to look for Takeba…slowly…" Marcus began to limp off with Gallade and Scizor. The sky wouldn't have been the best option with Mewtwo primarily using that to battle Zygarde, so on foot it was.

"…..I wonder who's not as smart…him or her…" Bonnie frowned. She would've gone as well, but she devoted herself to supporting her Squishy in battle. "Come on Squishy…! Kick its butt!"

.

.

"That bumbling idiot…" Elizabeth groaned. "She bit off more than she could chew…!"

"Should we go back to her?" Serena suggested.

"I'm not turning this thing around!" Folly said from the pilot's seat. There went that idea.

"But she's…" Serena frowned.

"Why did you let her go alone?" Sycamore questioned.

"Because she was so persistent…!" Elizabeth explained. "She really wanted to prove to us she could do it…and now she's in trouble and I don't think anyone will be able to get to her in time…!"

"I think you're thinking about this the wrong way." Sycamore said calmly. "You say she was adamant about facing off against an admin alone because she believed she could handle it. If you all did not have faith in her abilities, you would've sent her with some backup. I believe that you all do believe in her…and that will be all she needs to overcome this trial. I've seen her battle. Despite her lapse in judgement at times…she's quite talented. So why don't you leave Venus to her and focus on our mission?"

"…Man you're good." Elizabeth huffed.

"We're in the Kalos Badlands! I see the HQ up ahead!" Trudely reported. "We're going in! Hard to believe they missed such a large building like this."

Elizabeth called forth her Zoroark, patting it on the back with a grin. "Looks like we're up…Zoroark, we're going to need an illusion." Zoroark nodded and began to use its illusionary powers to make the helicopter appear as the most frightening land Pokémon one could think of: Groudon. "That's what I'm talking about!"

At the landing zone of the base, Gorrigan and Snattle actually had quite the viewpoint of the incoming helicopter and watched as it somehow changed to the image of Groudon. "Huh, that'd be intimidating otherwise."

"I trust you have this under control?" Snattle questioned with his arms behind his back. "I have to go back inside to make sure no one slips in."

"They won't even be getting inside…" Gorrigan pounded his chest, summoning forth a large number of Chiper Peons with several pokemon of various types at the ready. "Slowking, are you prepared?" Of course with the name of this pokemon it took a few moments before it actually acknowledged Gorrigan's words. "SCALD." Slowking tilted its head up before unleashing a high pressurized, boiling stream of water at the helicopter.

"THEY'RE NOT FLEEING THEY'RE SHOOTING." Folly exclaimed before turning the helicopter to the side so it wouldn't get hit. The illusion wore off at this point, not that it had any effect to begin with.

"The illusion didn't work!" Jessie shouted.

"Yeah, thanks for that!" Elizabeth shot back. "Night Daze!" Elizabeth was taking the offensive while they were stuck in the sky. Zoroark pointed its hands forward, unleashing a beam of pure darkness towards the Slowking below.

"Primape! Cross Chop!" Gorrigan commanded Primape to act next, crossing his arms before slicing through the Night Daze, rendering the attack nothing but harmless dusk.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Elizabeth groaned.

"Psychic." Slowking's eyes brightened and its telekinetic powers caught a hold of the helicopter, seizing control of all function's to prevent it from going anywhere. Slowking then began to shake it around rather violently.

"I see you have this under control." Snattle nodded and returned inside the base.

"Ahhh! This is bad for my hair!" Yes, that was Miror B's biggest worry at the moment. Never mind the life threatening danger of a helicopter potentially crashing to the ground. "Folly, if you don't get us out of this I swear I'm going to…!"

"I'M TRYING BOSS!" Folly shouted, but there was naught a thing he could do.

"You are such a diva…" Serena couldn't believe that she'd be in mortal danger with a man like Miror B around.

"WHAT DO WE DO!" Jessie, James, and Meowth all panicked and hugged each other.

Gorrigan was just about to send the helicopter crashing into the ground with Slowking…but several Pin Missiles from above completely cut off their focus. Slowking was thrown backwards while Gorrigan slid back. "What the?! Who did that!?"

"Sir, up there…!" A Peon pointed to the sky above the helicopter. "Is that a bird…a plane…IS THAT RAYQUAZA?!"

Yes…and no. It was Rayquaza, but with a second glance one would realize that it wasn't quite as large as the serpentine dragon that hung around the earth's atmosphere. It was noticeably smaller and had a slight…robotic appearance to it? Robo-Rayqauza perhaps? Was that an open cockpit on the skull there? Standing atop the Rayqauza was a young man with red hair, teal eyes, and snag machine of his own on his left arm! "Looks like I was just in time." This young man was none other than Michael, the second hero of the Orre region. Beside him was his trusty starter pokemon: Jolteon. "Chobin and the doctor really know how to make these things. One for sea and sky travel! Gotta give them props."

"Who the heck is that…!?" James asked.

"OOOOH! It's that BRAT!" Miror B's emotions actually began to flare up at the sight of Micheal. Never in his life did he think the boy who vexed him so would be one to save his hair.

"You're acquainted…?" Syacmore questioned.

"You AGAIN!?" Gorrigan shouted from below. "You really just enjoy showing up where you're not wanted, do you!?"

"Jovi feels the same way when I find her too fast during Hide and Seek." Michael joked before lowering the Robo-Rayqauza to the helicopter. "This is…quite the party you've got here. Looker's contacted me and brought me up to speed. You need to get inside, right? Don't worry about that. I'll keep them busy! Afterwards, you tell me where this Wes guy is. I'd like to have a few words with him."

"You're going to take on all of them alone at once?" Serena asked worriedly.

"Oh…don't worry. I didn't come alone either." Michael smiled while pointing behind him. "I got a few people who want to miss out on the action…" Behind Michael were two faces that nobody would've recognized at first glance. The first was Eldes, a former admin of Chiper's first revival who rode atop his Salamance with his arms behind his back. The second? Gonzap. The leader of Team Snagem who used his Skarmory to fly.

"What kind of entourage…?" Elizabeth titled her head. But she then realized that the backup brought back up! "Not going to question it!"

"Eldes! You traitor!?" Gorrigan shouted. "Where's Ardos!?"

"I'm afraid my brother is occupied…" Eldes responded. "I could not allow him to join in on this Chiper revival…so I had the International Police keep tabs on him this entire time. I thought he'd be the one to revive Chiper as a twisted way of Greevil's wishes…but I am thoroughly surprised that it was someone else. And I've heard Chiper has been experimenting with actual people now? That is…something I cannot agree with. I always questioned things when it came to the Pokémon…but you've crossed a line this time."

"And the big one?" Serena pointed to Gonzap.

"I owe this kid a favor." Gonzap said before slamming his fists together. "NOW LET'S CRUSH CHIPER! I won't let Wes get away with such evil! I always knew he was a rotten egg…but this really takes the cake!"

"As you can see…we've got this." Michael said with a nod. "Now land! We'll cover you!"

"I don't think so! Everyone, take them down!" At Gorrigan's command, multiple attacks were aimed at the landing helicopter; Hydro Pump, Fire Blast, Flash Cannon, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, etc.

"Pin Missile!" Michael commanded. Jolteon's quills flared before releasing missiles at the incoming attacks.

"Dragon Pulse." Eldes commanded. Salamance inhaled before releasing a powerful blast of draconic energy towards the attack.

"HYPER BEAM!" Gonzap shouted. Skarmory inhaled before releasing a potent blast of raw energy. These three attacks were more than enough to cause an explosion and cover the helicopter as it landed.

"We're safe!" Folly confirmed.

"Let's get moving! Kasumi needs our help!" Serena nodded and everyone briskly left the helicopter to enter the base.

"Tch…they won't make it back out. Not with Nascour in there." Gorrigan remarked, trying to ease the mistake he made of allowing them entry into the base.

Michael hopped off the Robo-Rayquaza along with Jolteon and landed on the ground, taking a glance at the surrounding Chiper Peons. The scanner on Michael's head covered his eye and he was allowed to see all of the Shadow Pokémon around him. "Look at all these Shadow Pokémon…I see you're all up to your old tricks…Chiper never learns do they? Looks like I'll have to give you a refresher course on why this plan will never work." The second hero of Orre held his Snag Machine arm out to the side as an Ultra Ball slowly began to materialize within his grip. Once he had a firm hold on the capsule, he twisted his body with all his might and hurled the ball forward! As the capsule opened, several beams shot forth, taking the appearance of a large hand preparing to grab something as it closed in on its target!

.

Nascour watched everything happening outside from the security room. His arms were crossed and he held an indifferent expression on his face. "Those fools…they truly do not know what is waiting for them inside this base." The Vice head of Chiper then turned and began to exit the room. "If I must step in myself…then I will do just that. I will not allow them to take XD-002. She's the key to stopping our Grandmaster…and I will not allow them to do that before I do…"

.

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Next Time: And Thus, I Can Do It!


	64. Chapter 64: And Thus, I Can Do It

The assault on the Chiper HQ finally began! Thanks to Michael and his entourage of Edles and Gonzap coming through, the Kalos crew could finally focus on rescuing Kasumi! "OUT OF THE WAY! WE'VE GOT A GIRL TO SAVE!" Elizabeth was leading the charge with Zoroark in front. "Flamethrower!" Zoroark inhaled before releasing a powerful stream of flame to blow away any Chiper Peon who dared to stand in their way.

Jessie, James, and Meowth were sure to keep in the back…because to be honest…Elizabeth was kind of frightening when she was dead set on something like this. "You know…this twerp is actually kind of scary…" Meowth whispered.

"You can say that again…" James shuddered.

"You think THAT'S scary? I'll show you scary…." Jessie grumbled.

"Braxien, Flamethrower!" Serena called forth Braxien as support to add onto Zoroark's flames! The hallway was soon a blazing wasteland that eradicated the Chiper Peons in the way.

"Oooh, so this is what their hideout looks like now…" Miror B was inspecting every inch of the hideout to the point where his trio began falling behind. To be honest…nobody really bothered to pay attention to him anyway since he appeared to have his own motives. And at least his trio would be another something for Chiper to worry about.

"Where's he…you know what, it's probably better not to worry about it…" Serena spoke with a minor sweat drop. That left Serena's group and the disguised Team Rocket to rescue Kasumi. After blasting through several Peons they finally arrived at what looked to be the main control center where everything in Lumoise was being watched.

"So…anyone a computer genius here?" Elizabeth stared at the computers and had no idea what to do about it.

"Allow me…" Sycamore began to take a crack at the computers. "I'm going to find out where exactly it is they have Kasumi being held. If we're lucky we can find a shorter route in and out. Maybe we can find a way to stop Mewtwo as well…" After a few moments Sycamore finally found where Kasumi was being held. "Ah ha. She's on a lower floor. If we hurry we can…"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Snattle snarled while approaching the group with his Lunatone and Solrock. "That information is highly classified! You cannot have XD-002!"

"Her name is Kasumi!" Serena shouted. "Now get out of our way. She's suffered enough and we've come to rescue her!"

"I will not allow it." Snattle said while taking a firm stance. "As future ruler of the Kalos region, I can't have my subjects doing as they please without some of punishment." As Snattle spoke, a few Peons dropped down from the ceiling to back him up.

"The CEILING!?" Elizabeth glanced up. "I swear they weren't there when I looked two seconds ago! Are these guys ninjas or something?"

"We don't have time for this…" Serena grumbled.

"Hohoho…." Jessie began laughing, which drew all attention to her and the disguised Team Rocket.

"Who dares?!" Snattle scrunched his face up.

Jessie was the one to start it all off just as the team threw off their disguises. "If you ask who dares…"

"Our answer will be the world's compassion!" James continued.

"To protect the world from devesatation!"

"To uphold peace in this world!"

"To carry out the evils of truth and love!"

"The lovely, charming villains!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket soars through the galaxy!"

"A white hole, a new tomorrow awaits us!"

"Something like that!" Mewoth added at the end, along with Wobbefett's cry.

"T-Team Rocket!?" Color Serena surprised. "That news crew was you!?"

"How did you not notice!?" Elizabeth recalled Team Rocket trying to steal their pokemon earlier. She'd almost forgotten about them honestly.

"You didn't notice either…!" Serena shot back. "What are you three doing here!?"

"What did we tell you before, twerp?" Jessie said while pushing Wobbefett forward. "We're here to stop Chiper as well. Even we know what they're doing to that girl is wrong…along with the Pokémon they've tampered with."

As James called out his Inkay, he spoke. "Think of it like this…the enemy of our enemy is our friend. We'll hold off this one while you rescue that girl. But remember, we're not doing this for you. We're doing this because Chiper had the gall to embarrass Team Rocket earlier."

"That's right!" Meowth's claws were brought out and he grinned. "They're gonna pay for making fools out of us!"

"I suppose they're not an absolutely terrible bunch after all…" Sycamore muttered.

"Come on, she's waiting for us." Serena ushered Sycamore and Elizabeth to follow her as Team Rocket took on Snattle and his crew.

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.

Blatoise, Vileplume, Electrode, and Dodrio were down. They weren't knocked out but getting back up wasn't the most immediate option at the moment. Takeba herself was down as well since Venus was practically dragging her by her hair. "Ow…let me go…" Takeba whined. It was hard to resist being pulled along when her ankle was sprained.

"Oh, fine." Venus dropped Takeba on the street and she groaned. "I'm still deciding what it is I want to do with you. I don't want an idiot working under me. I know for a fact that you can't get anything done considering you decided to challenge me." Venus continued walking, not even considered with Takeba. "Maybe I'll just keep you locked in a cage for display? Your last name is pretty familiar now that I think about it. The Vermillion family would probably pay a handsome sum to see their daughter safe…actually, now that I think about it…if they're as powerful as you say…perhaps we could use them as the cornerstone for our Kanto operations…"

"Leave my family out of this…" Takeba groaned while sitting up. She felt really terrible in this situation. She told the others not to worry about her, yet here she was, unable to even accomplish the task she set out to do. "Leave my friends out of this too."

"Are you saying you'll offer yourself up to make them stop fighting? Hm…I suppose you have many kinds of uses…" Venus was plotting what to do while stroking Suicune's mane. "Perhaps as a bargaining chip your use is extremely high…"

"No!" Takeba objected. "I won't let you harm them!"

"You can't even protect yourself." Venus said while waving her hand dismissively. "How do you expect to even try and protect your friends if you can't even stand up right now? Besides…I hear all they ever do is make fun of you. How can you call those people your friends when all they do is laugh about your shortcomings? Seems to me that you've just been looking for people to call friends because you're lonely. Did I hit the mark?"

Takeba flinched at Venus' words…because…well…they were true to her. She just wanted to fit in somewhere. "Everyone always laughs at me…" Takeba sighed. "Even when I was young in Kanto, the kids at trainer's school always made fun of me. I know I'm slow and stupid…I try to act smart when I'm not…I'm not exactly the most reliable person…ever since I was young my parents just wanted me to sit in the house and play with my pokemon. But I didn't want to do that…I wanted to fight like my older brother."

"So you admit it? You're useless?" Venus asked. She was always good at breaking people's spirit…first Grace, now Takeba. Only it didn't look like anyone was going to make it to save Takeba.

"…I thought that for the longest time." Takeba sighed. "….But then. I came here to Kalos and met this trainer. He's bold…or stupid, I can't tell. I didn't think much of him at first…but he beat me in a battle in the tournament. You know what else he did? He started Cynthia in the face and said "I challenge you" knowing full well that was a battle he couldn't win. And then he took 2nd place overall in such a large tournament. I've come to admire that trainer a lot, you know…? He's been a big inspiration to me…I-I wanted him to say "Good job, Takeba! I knew we could count on you!" and maybe pat me on the head too…I want all of them to say that…I want them to know there's no reason to worry."

"So you're really doing this all for them…? To prove to them that you can be reliable? How sweet…it makes me sick to my stomach. I doubt they'll consider you a friend anyway. And besides; you're all alone." Venus yawned. But she didn't notice that Takeba was actually starting to stand up. Even more so…her pokemon were getting up to. She didn't seem to realize that underestimating Takeba was a bad thing…she may not have been the brightest bulb in the shed, but when she set her mind to something…

"That's where you're wrong…" Takeba stumbled while trying to keep her balance. But she was standing. "I'm not alone…I have my Pokémon with me too!"

"You really are an idiot…" Venus sighed. "You should know by now how much I hate sentimental drivel. If that's all it takes to drive someone…"

"What about you?" Takeba asked. "Why did you rejoin Chiper? I heard that Wes took everything away from you…so why are you working under him now?"

"You really want to know?" Venus turned, beginning to pace back and forth as Takeba asked a rather simple question. "Back in the early days of Chiper…I ran a town called The Under deep under Pyrite Town. The people there absolutely adored me and did everything I said. In turn I promised their safety. The tournaments I ran were for the distribution of Shadow Pokémon. Having people who listened to me and adored me, and I adored them too. They were all so adorable…but then he…Wes ruined everything! I had to leave The Under and the town was shut down! The people no doubt hated him for it and I did as well. He even snatched away my precious Suicune."

"Then why are you working with him!?" Takeba asked. "Are you sure I'm the idiot here? I wouldn't be working with someone who made my life miserable."

"When your life is already miserable, what's it matter? Suicune was one of my only friends when I was younger before the people chased it away because they didn't understand its beauty." Venus said with a melancholy tone. That got Takeba's attention. "After Chiper fell the first time, the last five years were pretty hellish for me. I heard about their revival but decided there was no point for me to get involved. Then lo and behold, sometime later…here comes the man who took away everything from me, giving it back. Suicune and the people in The Under joined Chiper just to see me again. I couldn't very well deny such an offer like that now could I? Even though I resent him for taking my glory away…he gave it back too. That is why I follow him now."

Takeba paused. The tone Venus had…it was similar to her own. Was Venus a lonely child like her…? "So…you're just like me, then?"

"I AM NOT LIKE YOU!" Venus snapped. "I am not a lowly idiot just waiting for her fate to be decided! I am the beautiful Venus! I will not lose what I've gained again! You won't stop me!" She had a tight hold on her necklace while commanding Suicune again. "Suicune, Aurora Beam!" Suicune opened its mouth and fired off another rainbow colored beam of frost at Takeba.

Luckily for Takeba, Vileplume found the strength to get back up again. As soon as it did, it rushed over to Takeba and spread its stubby arms out and made use Protect, shielding its trainer from harm. "V-Vileplume…!" Vileplume nodded to Takeba. By this point the rest of her team recovered. "Dodrio…! I need my legs!" Dodrio sprinted forward, lifting up Takeba onto its body before running off.

"You're still going to try and fight!? Your team is on its last legs!" Venus scoffed.

"I know I'm not strong enough to beat you in a head on battle…but there are more ways to fight a battle than strength alone! Electrode, do what you do best!" Takeba commanded. Electrode threw its body forward, landing between Venus and Suicune.

"What…?" Venus titled her head. She didn't have any recollection of what an Electrode did….that was until it faced her with that wide grin. "AAHHHH!" Electrode then happily exploded. The blast radius was wide and Venus was sent stumbling back as most of the explosion was focused on Suicune. Suicune did take damage and it showed, although it tried to shake it off as best it could. As for Venus she was more pissed off than hurt. "You little upstart…how dare you use such an underhanded tactic?!"

"All's fair in war, right?" Takeba replied with a grin.

"You think you're so slick don't you….Surf!" Suicune placed its paws on the ground, conjuring a massive wave of water that crashed down onto the area.

"Vileplume, Electrode, return!" Takeba returned the downed Electrode and Vileplume as Dodrio ascended into the sky. Blastoise was fine in the water and spun around in its shell to keep afloat. "This cheerleading outfit isn't just for show…! Tri Attack!" Takeba pushed herself off Dodrio as each individual head released a blast of fire, ice, and electricity at Suicune and Venus. As soon as she did that, she pushed off Dodrio and performed a flip in the air, showcasing her surprising athleticism as she landed on the rotating Blastoise on her hands.

"Are you trying to show off now!?" Venus shouted in annoyance. "Suicune, shoot that stuff down with Hydro Pump!" Suicune fired off a massive vortex of water at the incoming Tri Attack. The ice and fire spheres were dealt with, but the angle of the electrical sphere was shot off towards Takeba…just as she wanted!

"Here I go…!" After spinning she pushed herself off Blastoise and reared her good leg back, striking the electrical sphere with all her might. "Hyah!" She had to have played soccer, or something, because the force of that kick ricocheted the sphere towards Suicune, landing a direct hit! "Ah ha!" Takeba then landed…on both feet, which was bad because of her ankle and she cringed because of it. "Ouch…!"

"Oooooooh!" Venus growled. Her Suicune was suffering because of this idiot and she would stand for it no longer! "Aurora Beam!" Suicune was starting to feel a little damaged and its movements were slightly sluggish because of it, but that didn't stop it from unleashing a massive beam of frost at Blastoise and Takeba.

"Blastoise cover me..!" Takeba shouted. Blastoise pointed the cannon on its back forward, unleashing an Aura Sphere to collide with the Aroura Beam. The two attacks exploded in the middle, creating a cloud of smoke that shrouded Takeba from view. "Ah, perfect…this is my chance…"

"Trying to use the smoke to hide away like some Ratata are we? Not on my watch. Gust!" Suicune's tails began to waver in the wind as a powerful gust blew through the area. The cloud of smoke only lasted a few seconds and when Takeba was revealed, it didn't look like she was ready to be discovered so quickly.

"Ack…!" Takeba shrieked.

"Found you. Surf." Suicune created yet another large wave of water. This typhoon was larger than the last and swept Takeba off her feet this time along with Blastoise. When the water receded, Takeba was coughing up water while leaning against some rubble.

"Ack…ugh…" Takeba groaned. It didn't seem like she had much fight left in her now after being washed up. Her pink hair created a shade over her eyes as she remained still for the most part.

"Are you done with this farce?" Venus placed her hands on her hips and sighed, slowly walking towards the downed Takeba. "Your pokemon are down…you're down…I think it's just better for everyone that you give up now. You're an idiot…a ktutz…a failure…a weak trainer…but you do serve some purpose as a bargaining chip for our Kanto operation. I'm sure Wes will have some use for you after all. Do you have anything else to say before I have Suicune freeze you into a Popsicle and we hand you over to our collection?" As she spoke, she held out Suicune's pokeball, preparing

Takeba lifted her head up slowly…where she stared at Venus with an extremely dead look in her eyes and only said one thing: "Ditto." And with a puff of smoke Takeba turned into…Ditto! It was a ruse! It seems those few seconds of cover in the smoke was all she needed to launch her counterattack.

To that, Venus blinked slowly. "Pardon…me…"

"Give me that Pokeball!" The real Takeba emerged from behind the rubble and tried to snatch Suicune's pokeball. Unfortunately for her Venus did manage to stumble away, but it was clear she had the upper hand now. "Ditto Transform and use Aurora Beam!" Ditto's body then changed its molecular makeup to that of Suicune's and immediately unleashed that ice cold beam of frost at Venus. Venus did move out of the way, but the arm holding Suicune's pokeball got frozen to a wall. "Yes..! Now give me that thing…!" Takeba was going to limp forward as fast as she could.

"Ack…! No, let me out of this!" Venus said while trying to pry her arm away from the ice. "Suicune! Don't let them touch me! Use Gust!" Suicune flapped its tails forward, commanding another powerful gust of wind to try and sweep Takeba off her feet.

"Ngh…!" Takeba brought her arms up to shield herself from the wind. Luckily for her, Blastoise always had her back and used itself as a shield behind her to prevent her from getting blown away. Because of this she was able to advance slowly.

"Why do you keep fighting!? I don't understand it!" Venus growled. "You're meant to just be stepped on by me! I'm the beautiful Venus! I can't be beaten!"

"I don't care who you are…!" Takeba shouted back. "Just like how they don't care how dumb I may be…so what they make fun of me here and there? Unlike at home…I know it's not genuine. I know that the people who are fighting right now…I'm not doing this so they'll believe in my. I'm doing because they believe in me! They're my friends! So I will not let them down! So give me that thing right now! I'll set Suicune free from your grip as well!"

"Ah! No! Don't touch me with those grimy fingers of yours…!" Venus squealed. Takeba reached out for Venus' hand, but at the last second the wind diverted her hand down to Venus' chest before she and Blastoise were eventually blown backwards. Venus could finally break her arm free and let out a sign of relief before smirking at Takeba. "Ah…such a valiant effort. But alas…a klutz like you could only make it to the finish line before tripping."

Takeba rested against Blastoise with a grin. She lifted up the necklace Venus wore. "Oh…I actually wasn't aiming for the pokeball. I had my eyes on a better prize."

It appeared that Takeba's gamble paid off…because Venus was looking shaken right now. "What?! No! How did you…!?"

"I've noticed that whenever you commanded Suicune to attack, you'd occasionally start tapping the necklace…so I started thinking: what if it actually doesn't listen to you as often as you'd like? It's hard to get a legendary pokemon under control…seeing as how you've had trouble with Mewtwo on its own. So I assumed that the radio frequency this necklace emits must be stronger than that of the pokeball and affects Suicune as long as it's bound to you. Just breaking the pokeball wouldn't have been enough…it's my guess the other two have something similar on their person. Something that strengthens your influence over a Pokémon….Yours must be water-proof, yeah?"

"Don't you dare break that!" Venus snarled. "W-What are you!?"

"Oh….?" Takeba then dropped the necklace and lifted her foot. "I'm sorry…but I'm just such a KLUTZ, I can't manage to do anything, right!?" As soon as she said the word klutz her foot crushed the necklace into pieces. "I was never going to beat Suicune…but I realized I didn't have to…I just had to snatch it away from your control somehow…and I'm nothing special. Just your average ditz."

As soon as the device was broken, the pokeball Venus held began to spark before exploding in her hand. It wasn't harmful but it did catch her off guard. Venus shrieked and stumbled forward. "Y-You little upstart! How dare you make a fool out of me!? Suciune! Freeze her!" Venus pointed forward…and then glanced at Suicune, who was NOT happy with Venus' recent choices. "S-Suicune…? Y-You know it's me…right? Your Venus! Right? You love me, don't you! I took such good care of you!" One could tell that Suicune was about to put Venus in a much needed time out. Suicune unleashed a low powered Aurora Beam just strong enough to freeze Venus. "NO NO NO NO-!" Frozen Venus. Quite a sight for sore eyes.

"A-Ah ha…..we won…!" Takeba let out a heavy exhale before completely collapsing on the ground on her knees. She stared up at Suicune and grinned. "A-Are you okay…oh majestic beast of water…." Suicune stared at Takeba, giving her a nod of acknowledgement before leaping to the rooftops and dashing off. "Hey Blastoise…give the signal…I don't want them worried about me anymore, okay?" Blastoise nodded and fired off a Hydro Pump into the air, allowing it to explode to give that water based signal she mentioned before. "…I'm gonna rest here for a while…but there's no way I'm missing the big show…thank you, everyone…" She spoke to her team. Without them she wouldn't have been able to do this at all. "I hope I was of some use…to everyone…and him…" She then sighed and glanced at the temporarily frozen Venus. They were really alike in some ways…perhaps had they met under different circumstances they could've been friends. "…Maybe next time…"

Cynthia had been watching most of that fight. She was about to step in, but didn't when she saw Takeba stand up for herself. A slight grin crossed her lips, feeling no need to worry about her at all. "There's a special package waiting at the south side of the city. Be sure to thank the sender." Cynthia reported before walking off. The international police would take care of the rest from this point. She still had a special assignment to take care of anyway.

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Next Time: Reminiscence.


	65. Chapter 65: Reminiscence

BOOM! A fiery explosion occurred in front of the gym, throwing Manectric and Darmanitan backwards. Manectric was burned in the process while Darmanitan reverted from its Zen Mode. "Manectric! Darmanitan…!" While Scott was so concerned about his two pokemon he somehow failed to notice that Dakim himself approached and slammed his fist right into his gut. Coming from a big man such as Dakim…that hurt a lot. "Agh...!" Scott grunted while practically falling to his knees.

"Scott!" Kayla turned over to his direction after that hit. It just looked like it hurt. "You actually punched him…!?"

"Of course I did." Dakim said while walking back to Entei. "I told you all that I'm not afraid to hit anyone that stands in my way." Anyone could tell that he sounded proud when he said that.

"Yeah, that's Master Dakim for you!" A Peon exclaimed. Even though the Peons were basically finished at this point, they all had faith that Dakim would be able to snuff out this part of the resistance.

"Ugh…you brute…do you think of nothing but punching people?" Scott was struggling to breathe. He was winded for sure and his Pokémon were concerned.

"It's always been like this for me." Dakim shrugged. "I don't understand why you're all bothering to try and fight against the Grandmaster. This plan is pretty complex…I don't understand the intracies of it or whatever…but crushing whoever comes in our way is the best thing to do in my mind."

"He simply lacks cohesive thought…" Lore shook his head. "Solar Beam!" Sceptile inhaled before firing off a beam of solar energy at Entei, which was easily dodged much to Lore's dismay. "Of course…Scott, are you all right?"

"I think so…" Scott exhaled as his breathing slowly regulated. "I can't say I've had worse."

"Hey, wait a minute…you just insulted me didn't you!?" Dakim stomped his foot on the ground. "Clearly you don't understand the situation you're in, punks!"

"…I don't think you understand the situation at all…" Kayla said while playing with a strand of her hair. "Togekiss, Air Slash!" Togekiss flew into the air, sending a blade of air towards Entei's location.

"Stone Edge!" Entei stomped on the ground, creating a wall of stones to shield it from the Air Slash. The rocks shattered but that was of no importance to the grand scheme of things. No matter how one looked at it, Scott's group wasn't doing well so far. "Wahaha! You can't stop me! That pink-haired idiot has probably fallen by now too…such a shame. But I have to give you an A for effort."

"Takeba…" Scott grit his teeth. There was still concern for Takeba at the current moment since there was no word from her. "Perhaps we were the fools for allowing her to fight on her own…"

"She told us we could trust her…I want to." Said Kayla. "I've never seen that look in her eyes before. The best thing we can do is put our faith in her and keep going…"

"You're right…" Scott nodded in agreement. "But what still eludes me…is to why someone like you would follow Wes even though he's supposedly beaten you numerous times in the past."

"I follow the strong." Dakim's response was a clear cut as it could get. "Those who are strong deserve to be followed. Chiper is strong and I follow them as a high ranking leader. With my might nothing will stand in our way."

"He really is just a muscle head…." Kayla let out an aggravated sigh. There was no trying to reason with someone who thought with their fists instead of their brains.

"He reminds me of how I could've been…" Scott admitted. "I pursue brain over brawn because I know there are some things brute strength alone cannot overcome. I realized this even more when I encountered all of you. Someone may be stronger than you in strength…but you can always outsmart them one way or another. It's not impossible for the weaker opponent to win…"

"Oh yeah?" Dakim cracked his knuckles. "Let's see how long you keep whistling that tune when I…"

"…Because even an airhead can overcome a mountain like Venus." Scott interrupted Dakim to continue. Just as he did, Takeba's victory signal exploded in the air. All they needed to do was trust her.

"What…!?" Dakim's eyes widened. "You're telling me that Venus lost!? Ah…she was always one to play with her food before finishing it. No wonder she's taken two losses! And she has to do is do as she's told quickly…!"

"She would be even more of a threat if she didn't relish in her success too soon…" Scott admitted. "But if Takeba can defeat Venus…then we've a chance against you."

"Let's test that…" Dakim grinned. "Entei…let out your loudest roar. Let them know the power that makes the earth tremble!" Entei placed its paw on the ground before letting out its loudest roar. The earth began to quake and split apart, causing magma to spew from the ground!

"The fires of hell are upon us!?" Lore gasped from the drastic nature of Dakim's scheme.

"This is what happens to those who defy Chiper!" Dakim laughed. However before the magma could really get anywhere…water crashed down on it. It wasn't long before the two stalemated harmlessly on the city. "What the…!?"

Suicune was above on a rooftop, keeping Scott's group safe from harm. It wasn't going to interfere with the battle itself…but it wasn't going to allow them to be done in by Entei's power like this. Suicune then ran off along the rooftops as though it had some other location in mind, just leaving everyone bewildered.

"Suicune was under Venus' control right…so what was that?" Kayla asked.

Scott understood the situation from that moment alone. Takeba didn't beat Venus by brute force…but by tearing Suicune away from her! If that was the case then the method of defeating Dakim must've been the exact same way. "Manectric…Dig. Darmanitan, Solar Beam!" Manectric used its strength to burrow into the ground while Darmanitan fired off a Solar Beam towards Entei.

"You're still fighting!? Fire Blast!" Entei didn't waste any time unleashing a gigantic blaze upon the Solar Beam, allowing it to explode on contact.

"Extreme Speed!" Togekiss flew around Entei with blindly fast speed. This ruse continued for a few seconds before it slammed its body into Entei's, causing it to slide backwards slightly.

"Dragon Claw!" Sceptile sped forward with green scales forming along its hand. Sceptile aimed a swipe at Entei's chest, but it managed to avoid the strike.

"You kids are extremely annoying! Entei…!" Dakim was about to issue yet another command…but that was when Manectric rose from a hole behind Dakim with lightning surging around its maw. Manectric then…bit Dakim in the butt, sending a surge of electricity through his body; mainly the device that his loincloth concealed that controlled Entei. "G-GAAH!"

"Master Dakim…!" The Peons exclaimed in worry.

"Good boy." Scott grinned as Manectric hopped back.

"You…." Dakim felt Entei's Pokeball overheating. When he stared at it…it exploded in his face and sent him stumbling back. "Gah! Stupid machine! I never knew how to use you anyway…Entei!" Entei was not looking happy at Dakim right now. Realizing this…the admin began to sweat slightly. "E-Entei? Good boy…?" Not the best thing to say to an upset legendary. Entei exhaled weak flames that sent Dakim's hair ablaze. Even this brute couldn't contain his worry and began to panic and rushed off deeper into the city…only to run into the remaining members of the International Police.

"Serves him right…" Scott winced with his victory sigh. Dakim really did remind him of how he used to be…someone solely focused on the pursuit of raw power. He was glad he was not that person anymore. "Entei…" He was going to thank Entei…but Entei was just like Suicune and hurried off elsewhere after a brief nod. "I'll never understand these Pokémon…but I'm thankful for them. And for you, too."

"Ah, it was nothing." Kayla said with a thumbs up.

"Not even the fires of hell can deter me from snuffing out the true darkness…" And there was Lore with his weird speech again….

.

.

"Jolteon, Quick Attack!" Michael commanded. Jolteon was quite the fast one and darted past several pokemon, taking them out in one fell swoop. His battle prowess only seemed to improve in the time after he defeated Greevil. "Now, Thunder!" Sliding to a halt, Jolteon's hairs prickled up before releasing a strong bolt of lightning towards Gorrigan's Slowking.

"Protect!" Gorrigan commanded. Luckily for him Slowking did react fast enough to put up a barrier around its body that protected it from harm. "Now Cross Chop!"

"Pin Missile!" Michael was just as quick on the draw. Jolteon didn't miss a beat and released its quills in the form of various missiles that struck Primape off guard before it could even get close. "Who else wants some!?"

"You annoying little…" Goriggan grit his teeth and beat his chest. He glanced around at his Peons to see if anyone could see if anyone could provide backup…but they were busy trying to handle Eldes' might and Gonzap's overbearing use of the move Hyper Beam from Skarmory. "Tch…this operation would be a resounding success if you didn't stick your nose in it!"

"Everyone keeps saying that…" Michael shrugged. "But this organization really doesn't know when to quit. How many times do you have to be put down before you realize it won't work!?"

"As long as there remains darkness in the world, Chiper will always be reborn." Gorrigan spoke. "You know who told me that? The current Grandmaster. Considering his past record with us, that wasn't something I was expecting him to say. But they're words that he's held onto pretty strongly and it's allowed us to get this far. You don't seem to understand that XD-002 is the same way."

"I don't even know Kasumi at all." Michael began. "But I know that this process in itself is terrible…if you ever did something like that to Jovi under my watch…I'd tear you all apart right where you stand for messing with my little sister's future. So I can only imagine the fury those friends of hers wish to bring on all of you."

"Tch…" Gorrigan grunted. He wasn't really in a position to talk too much crap when his record against Michael wasn't exactly the greatest. "You're a nuisance…I can't believe Eldes is on your side too, and that loud Snagem Leader."

"HYPER BEAM." Yeah, that was Gonzap. He really loved that move. Enough to put it on everything single one of his Pokémon.

"Yeah he's uh…loud." Micheal admitted while rubbing the back of his head. "But that's not the point. I know there's another head honcho in the base…isn't that right?"

"Nascour will never let them escape with XD-002." Gorrigan said with a laugh. "He's the Vice Head of Chiper…they don't stand a chance against him."

"Then I'll just have to make you move first!" Michael shot back. If Nascour was as powerful as Gorrigan claimed…they were going to need help in there.

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Serena, Sycamore, and Elizabeth quickly traversed down a hallway, coming to a halt around a corner. "According to the map I saw…Kasumi should be around this hallway. There's a small room in front of it and the door is on the right side." Sycamore confirmed.

"Just around the corner then…." Serena swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. It had only been just over a day since anyone had really seen Kasumi…but with everything going on it felt much longer than that.

"Let's go. She's waiting." Elizabeth let the group forward into the first room. They didn't get too far as six Chiper Peons dropped down from the ceiling! These Peons were different from the rest as they all had six unique colors to them: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple, and Brown, in that exact order mind you. "W-What the?!"

"AH HA!" The red peon spoke while pointing at the trio. "We heard that there were intruders in the base heading for XD-002! I'm afraid we cannot allow you to go any further! Nascour has tasked us with the protection of the test subjects at all cost!"

"W-Who are these fruitcakes…?" Elizabeth tilted her head while staring at the six colored Peons.

"They look like characters on a cartoon I used to watch when I was younger…" Serena whispered.

"Who are we?! I'm glad you asked!" The red one continued to speak. "We are among the elite soldiers of the Chiper operation! I am Resix!"

"Blusix!"

"Greesix!"

"Yellosix!"

"Purpsix!"

"Browsix!"

"And together we are…the HEXAGON BROTHERS!"

"…What a lively bunch." Sycamore responded with a somewhat nervous smile. He figured this area would be guarded…just not by an erratic group of brothers.

Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose. Zoroark seemed to catch her annoyance and just prepared a Night Daze in the event she issued the command. "Listen…we really don't have time for this. We have a friend waiting for us."

"You dare look down on the Hexagon Brothers?!" Resix pointed accusingly at Elizabeth. "Perhaps we need to remind you of the numbers that you're dealing with. Brothers, count off!"

"One!" Said Blusix.

"Two!" Said Yellosix.

"Three!" Greesix shouted.

"Four!" Purpsix continued.

"FIVE!" Browsix exclaimed.

"…."

There was an awkward pause from all parties as the count off ended at five.

"…Wait…only five?" Purpsix questioned while glancing at his brothers. "That can't be right. There are six of us…"

"Start off from me this time!" Browsix nodded.

"ONE!" Purpsix shouted.

"Two!" Greensix continued.

"Three!" Yellosix said.

"Four!" Said Blusix.

"Five!" Resix ended.

"…"

Another awkward pause ensued as the Hexagon Brothers began staring at each other, huddling up in a small formation. "What…? This can't be right…are we missing someone?" Blusix mumbled.

The trio could only just….stare in amazement as this happened. "You….you can't be serious right now…" Elizabeth was so shocked at this she couldn't even fathom the situation before her.

"…Y-You mean you're not having Zoroark cast an illusion on them…?" Serena was really hoping that was the real reason behind this…because she didn't want to believe that a group of people could be this…lacking…

"…You mean Zoroark's not doing anything now?" Elizabeth glanced at Zoroark, who just gave a shrug. It was completely innocent in this matter…as shocking as that may sound.

"As bewildering as this may be…" Sycamore whispered to the two females. "They seem preoccupied with their discrepancy…which means our path is clear."

"…Oh, he's right. And maybe if we stay out of sight long enough and get lucky, they'll just go away." Elizabeth blinked a few times before nodding. "All right…let's go…carefully…" And they did just that, quietly sneaking around the Hexagon Brothers as they tried to figure out what the problem was. Once the coast was clear they snuck into the room holding Kasumi, keeping the door slightly cracked just in case. Sycamore was keeping as watch in the event the Hexagon Brothers finally settled their dispute and came after them.

"There she is…" Serena looked down at Kasumi with a frown. She was stable based on the readings from the machine, but there was another device that seemed to be regulating her shadow power.

"Ngh…." Kasumi twisted and turned in her sleep, black sparks occasionally flaring around her. But it was nothing as bad as last time.

"…I think she's having a nightmare." Serena frowned, trying to nudge Kasumi awake gently, but it was no use. Kasumi was still unconscious. "I don't know much about this technology…but do you think it's really safe to pull her away from this? She was really bad when she passed out before…"

"She's been out for an entire day and then some…" Elizabeth sighed. "We didn't come here to hesitate. There's a way to fix her and that's what we're going to do…but the question is who's going to carry her…"

"…I'm not strong enough." Serena poked her fingers together.

Elizabeth looked at Sycamore but was he…pretending not to take notice? Or were the Hexagon Brothers simply too entertaining to look away from even for someone like him? "….Ugh, fine." Elizabeth carefully removed Kasumi from the bed, making sure not to get tangled from wires. She tried to hoist her up onto her back and she nearly fell over with wide eyes. "W-WHOA….!"

"W-What's wrong!?" Serena asked.

"S-She's…she's heavier than I expected her to be…like…a LOT heavier…" Elizabeth exhaled, slowly managing to stand up straight. "Ugh…my back is going to kill me for this. Seriously…she's so short and slim…but she's heavy…!"

"Are you two finished? Let us move." Sycamore nodded to say the coast was clear. The trio now slowly tried to move around the Hexagon Brothers as they started off another round of calls.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Wait, eight?!" Browsix shook his head. "Be careful, brothers. There may be spies among us…"

And JUST when the trio was about to exit the room, Greesix noticed them. "Hey wait! They're trying to escape with XD-002!"

"Ah damn it! Couldn't you be idiots for one more second!?" Elizabeth groaned.

"HEXAGON BROTHERS! TO BATTLE!" Resix ordered. All six brothers threw out a pokeball, calling forth respective pokemon resembling their colors: Magcargo, Kingdra, Lanturn, Noctowl, Muk, and Breloom. "You will rue the day you crossed the Hexagon Brothers!"

"They're not messing around…" Serena was starting to remember the situation they were in: they were still deep in enemy territory, and anyone who claimed to be an elite probably lived up to the name. Nascour likely didn't assign them the post of protecting Kasumi out of their hands if they weren't capable of the task. "Pancham, Sylveon, I need your help!" Serena called forth her other two pokemon to assist in this matter.

"Garchomp, come out please!" And Sycamore was going to join in on this action with his Garchomp. Even so, they were still a little outnumbered and Elizabeth couldn't exactly reach into her back pocket to pull out another pokeball with Kasumi on her back.

"5 to 6…I don't like these numbers but it's all we've got so far." Elizabeth voiced her discontent. "Maybe if we're lucky Michael and friends will finish off outside and come in for backup so we can leave…"

"The Hexagon Brothers won't be defeated so easily!" Blusix exclaimed.

"We're not handing Kasumi back to you! She's got better things to do than hang out in this dump!" Serena clenched her hand into a fist. "Her life isn't yours to control! Sylveon Fairy Wind! Pancham Stone Edge! Braxien, Fire Blast!"

"Garchomp, Dragon rage!"

"Hexagon Brothers…ATTACK!"

.

.

"Hmmm…?" Ein turned his back to the explosion of water elsewhere in the city. "Now…what on earth could that be…?"

 _"_ _I'll send a water signal if everything's clear! A smoke if I need help. But don't worry about me!"_

"Ah…!" Clemont recognized it immediately. "That means that Takeba has defeated Venus. You're now down an Admin."

"Is that so…?" Ein crossed his arms and let out a sigh. "Poor Venus…even after being given chance after chance she still fails to bring forth results. We can do without her, she isn't important to the grand scheme of things anyway."

"You don't even care about your own comrade…?" Clemont questioned.

"I care not for anyone who has no use to me." Ein reiterated.

Clemont sneered at Ein's words. When he took a glance at his trio of pokemon it was clear that they were getting exhausted. Ein wasn't just relying solely on Raikou's power to battle; he was also a skilled battler. He wasn't an Admin for no reason and Clemont understood this well. But he had a flash of inspiration from the geyser of water that was Takeba's victory signal. _"Thank you, Takeba. I was stuck for ideas up until now…but you've just given me an idea."_

.

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The explosion of water from Takeba's location was largely noticeable to those all around. Even from the Lumoise Tower those fighting up there could see it. Wes tilted his head curiously as it briefly caught his attention. "Huh? Now what's going on over there? Seemed extremely over the top even for Venus.

"An explosion of water…" Rui tried to figure this out while staring at the source of the explosion. She then noticed Suicune gracefully running along the rooftop. "H-Hey! That's Suicune! Minus Venus…does that mean…"

"Takeba must've beaten her!" Grace clapped her hands together. "I was really worried about her…but she really did it! Suciune's free from that woman's grasp now!"

"I knew she could do it." Ash said while rubbing under his nose with his index finger.

"Hmph…it seems Venus couldn't handle taking out such a simple girl. After all the trouble it took us recapturing that damned beast anyway. It doesn't matter…" Wes shook his head. "With Mewtwo, Tyrantiar, and XD-002 at my disposal, it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience."

"You won't be using Kasumi how you please! I won't allow it!" Grace shouted. "If Takeba is working so hard…then we have to too, Ash!"

"Yeah!" Ash nodded in agreement. Admittedly, things were getting worrisome on the top of the tower with Wes slowly gaining the upper hand…but it was funny how Takeba's victory inspired them. The counterattack began with her and now it was up to them to continue this momentum! "Talonflame, Flame Charge! Noivern, Boomburst!" Talonflame cloaked its body in flames and sped towards Espeon! Ash recalled how Espeon used Light Screen before to block Boom Burst. Before Wes could issue a command Espeon was struck by Talonflame and thrown backwards!

"Espeon..!" Wes growled before glancing at Umbreon. "Shadow Ball!" Umbreon prepared to fire a Shadow Ball, but that was when the Boom Burst struck. The powerful wave of sound made both Umbreon and Tyranitar to stop in their tracks and cringe. "Tch!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu leapt into the air and fired off a potent bolt of lightning from its body that struck Tyranitar directly! This direct hit was effective as Tyrantiar growled in pain while leaning backwards.

"Salamance, Dragon Rush!" Grace planned on using the opening Ash granted. Salamance cloaked its body in draconic energy and dove forward, slamming its entire body against Tyrantiar's frame. The Shadow Pokémon snarled while stumbling backwards.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja reached for the shuriken on its back and hurled it forward without any delay, sending it soaring towards Tyrantiar.

"Psybeam!" Espeon recovered from the harsh impact of Flame Charge and fired off a beam of kinetic energy towards the incoming Water Shuriken. The two attacks exploded on contact and created yet another cloud of smoke.

"Be wary…" Grace warned as the smoke lingered.

But then something unexpected happened…Tyranitar's agitation rose and it fired off a Shadow Beam without warning! It was headed directly for Ash and Grace, but their unlikely savior would be Talonflame, who flew forward to tank the impact for the both of them! Talonflame was thrown backwards and landed on its back, KO'ed and heavily damaged. "T-Talonflame!" Ash returned Talonflame without a moment's notice. "T-That was…"

"That was dirty…" Grace grit her teeth.

"…I only play fair." Wes said while shaking his head.

"Rui is he lying!? Did he issue a command from the smoke to hit us!?" Grace asked.

Rui's eyes…were actually wide. It took a moment for Grace's question to process but she shook her head. "N-No…I didn't hear him say anything…"

 _"…_ _So, that process is already beginning to deteriorate…"_ Wes thought to himself. He didn't issue Tyranitar to attack from the smoke. Tyranitar retaliated all on its own…which was normal Shadow Pokémon behavior. But when this Shadow Pokémon was also under the influence of Mega Evolution… "You should pay more attention. If that bird didn't step in you'd both be fried by now."

"Don't talk about Talonflame like that." Ash was actually upset about this. Talonflame did the same thing when defending everyone against Moltres once before and he wasn't going to let its sacrifice be in vain. "Noivern…Greninja…Pikachu, we can still do this!"

"Salamance, I'm counting on you!" Grace nodded to her Salamance, who grunted in response.

"This may sound cliché…but you're free to struggle as much as you want. It won't mean anything in the end." Wes remarked.

"They're both giving it their all…" Rui mumbled as she continued to watch the fight from Wes' back. She was still technically on his side of the field and she didn't even make an effort to move just yet. She wasn't sure what to do and it only weighed on her more seeing how everyone else was giving it their all…

.

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Next Time: The Tomorrow We Fight For.


	66. Chapter 66: The Tomorrow We Fight For

_"_ _Dakim has been taken care of along with the Peons alongside him. Entei is now free. That only leaves on legendary beast left."_ That was Scott's voice over the communicator. Marcus grinned at the news for more reasons than one.

"Hehe…Looks like Takeba's victory really boosted the moral…" Marcus nodded to himself, grateful for what that idiot of theirs had done. "Guess our counterattack really did begin with you. We're not done yet though…" His gaze then drifted over to the top of the Lumoise Tower where a large explosion took place. He knew what was going on at the top of the tower and all he could do what place his faith in both of them "Although our progress means nothing if we can't beat Wes and deal with Mewtwo. I'm sure the two of you are working hard up there…but you better not let us down now…"

.

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"Garchomp, Dragon Rage!" Garchomp roared while rearing its head back, unleashing a powerful burst of energy towards the six pokemon of the Hexagon Brothers. All of them managed to dodge as the explosion took place.

"Slyveon use Fairy Wind!" Serena commanded. Slyveon's feelers extended to the side while a gust of pink wind shot forth from its body and raced towards the Brothers.

"Muk, Gunk Shot!" Muk sloshed around a little awkwardly before shooting forth a massive ball of gunk towards the intruders.

"Zoroark, Shadow Claw!" Zoroark rushed forward with darkness forming around its arm in the shape of a black claw. Zoroark cleaved through the incoming Gunk Shot, rending it useless before it could strike Slyveon.

"Mach Punch!" Breloom quickly threw its arm forward. Its elastic nature allowed it to cross the room in a matter of seconds, slamming into Zoroark's face to send it spiraling backwards.

"Braxien, Flamethrower!" Braxien drew its stick out from its tail, twirling it around a few times before shooting a massive funnel of flame towards the open Breloom. This was a direct hit and Breloom had to suffer for it, however Greesix wasn't going to be left floundering for very long with five people backing him up.

"Lanturn, Thunderbolt!"

"Kingdra, Water Pulse!"

The combination from Blusix and Yellosix was proving to be deadly. The electrified water soared towards the intruders with vicious intent. Sycamore, however, wasn't going to allow such a combination to bear and successful fruit. "Hyper Beam!" Garchomp bellowed before a massive beam of raw energy was unleashed from its mouth, clashing against the combination only to explode violently, shaking that area of the building entirely.

"Whoa…!" Resix grunted. Luckily his mask prevented his eyes from being affected by the harsh wind and dust blowing around everywhere. "I see these intruders play no games! They are worthy opponents indeed!"

"Yes brother!" Browsix nodded. "They are keeping us on our toes, just as the Grandmaster said they would!"

"Oh, so it looks like Wes did warn them about us beforehand…" Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Wonderful."

"Except you." Purpsix clarified. "He told us to throw you away…his words, not ours. Apologies for the overly rude remarks, madam!"

Elizabeth's brow twitched in annoyance. She wasn't surprised since she never liked Wes since day one, but this level of pettiness was really getting on her nerves. "I wish I was the one sticking my foot up his…wait, did you call me madam!? I'm NOT OLD! If she wasn't so heavy I swear I'd come over there and…"

"Wow…he was right…she is really belligerent…" Yellosix whispered to his brothers.

"ZOROARK NIGHT DAZE." Ah…the wrong buttons were pressed here. Zoroark did as it was told and unleashed a potent beam of darkness at the Hexagon Brothers. Elizabeth had enough of their constant prodding.

"Muk, Protect!" Muk summoned forth a protective barrier in front of its body, protecting the rest of its comrades from the Night Daze. It was at this moment that Elizabeth realized that these idiots just pulled one over on her.

"Noctowl, Air Slash!" Now it was Browsix's turn to act. Noctowl took to the air and began to gather the energy needed for a strong Air Slash.

"Pancham, Stone Edge!" Said Serena. Pancham wasted no time in slamming its fist into the floor, sending azure stones rising up from the ground. Noctowl tried to evade the rising stones but one struck right in its underbelly, sending it backwards.

"Seed Bomb!" Once again, Breloom was taking advantage of the situation. Several large seeds were thrown out towards the intruder's locations. Due to the timing, a response wasn't available and these seeds exploded, forcing our heroes backwards while damaging their Pokémon!

"Ugh…" Serena groaned. "This isn't going anywhere…we're outnumbered and don't have the time for this…"

"I doubt they'll be letting us go free with Kasumi either…" Sycamore didn't like this situation one bit. "We need a plan…"

"These odds are not in our favor…" Elizabeth grunted while looking at Kasumi over her shoulder. "Plus…my back is starting to feel a little weighed down. I don't think I can carry her like this for much longer."

"Oh ho…is there a problem here?" A familiar beat started to blare through the hallways as Miror B moonwalked his way into the room with Trudely and Folly. "Oh my…what have we here? This is quite the dancing crowd. Some even have stylish colors!"

"…I almost forgot we brought this guy with us…" Elizabeth didn't exactly have faith in this situation.

"Hey…that's the traitor!" Blusix pointed accusingly at Miror B. "Former Chiper Admin Miror B!"

"What?!"

"You're a former Admin!? I knew I didn't trust you!" Elizabeth groaned once again. Could things get any more irritating?

"Now now…" Miror B started doing the wave on his own, just doing his own thing really. "I didn't come here on Chiper's orders. I believe I said I couldn't stand this organization anymore. I'm just dancing to my own beat, you see. Ever since Evice was taken down, this place has had a rotten stench, one that I wish to get rid of! So you all may evacuate the dance floor."

"The Boss has this…" Folly said confidently.

"What's he going to do exactly…?" Serena questioned while nervously scratching her cheek. "I feel it's important to know if we should be worried about our backs or not…"

"You doubt the great Miror B!?" Trudely took offense to this. "He is the greatest trainer in the world! He'll mop the floor with these suckers!"

"Now then my dancers…it's time to boogey!" Miror B tossed out six pokeballs in the air. Each and every single one of them revealed a Ludicolo, all of them dancing to the music that was magically playing in the area, you know the song.

"W-Wait a second…" Elizabeth counted them all. "You have a full team of just Ludicolo?"

"That's right." Miror B said with pride.

Deadpan. "Why…?"

"It appears they're granting us an opportunity…we'd be wise to accept it…" Sycamore whispered.

"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about leaving this situation to him…but let's hurry. There's gotta be a way out of here somehow…" Elizabeth nodded. Serena returned Pancham and Slyveon for the time being as they all made their way back down the hall.

"Now that the annoyances are gone…" Miror B's shades gave off a sinister sheen while his grin became noticeably wider. "Hexagon Brothers. I know that there are still Shadow Pokémon in production in this lab…and you're going to tell me where exactly. I have no intentions of rebuilding a shoddy organization such as Chiper. I work alone…but having all that power…oooh, it makes me shiver and dance!"

"We'll never tell a traitor like you! Grandmaster said to stay particularly wary of you!" Resix said. "All Shadow Pokémon production is top secret and you'll never get your hands on it."

"Ah, of course…I figured as much. Very well…" Miror shook his head before preforming several stylish backflips. On the last one he broke out into a small jive before taking a pose. "LET'S DANCE!"

.

.

"He's so persistent! Just give up already!" Grace groaned. "Salamance, Fire Blast!" Salamance took off into the sky and unleashed a massive blast of flame down to Wes' trio of Pokémon.

"Not a chance. You'd have a better chance if you gave up, though. Espeon, Light Screen once more!" Wes ordered.

"Not this time! Noivern, Dragon Claw!" Noivern wasted no time flying forward and low to the ground with its claw prepared. Before Espeon could get the Light Screen up, Noivern raked its claw against it. Espeon cried out in pain while tumbling along the tower before coming to a halt. The Fire Blast was coming nearer, but Umbreon acted on its own, protecting Espeon from harm by unleashing a Dark Pulse to set off the Fire Blast early. "Huh…?"

"It protected it…" Another underlying aspect about this battle that was bugging Grace: Umbreon and Espeon's teamwork. These two were no doubt a problem. Mega Shadow Tyranitar was the biggest issue present they could deal with at the moment, but they were unable to make any progress with the Umbreon and Espeon pair. "I hate admitting this…but he's raised them both very well."

"Oh, I appreciate the compliment." Of course Wes overheard that and his ego just skyrocketed. "But that's not going to get you very far. Espeon, Swift!"

"Boomburst!" Espeon swung its tail forward to send another formation of stars at the opposition. Just as it did this, Noivern unleashed a powerful sound wave that collided with the Swift and exploded in the air. "Iron Tail!"

"Iron Tail."

Both Pikachu and Umbreon rushed forward, leaping into the air while putting all of their momentum in their tails. The collision between the two caused a shockwave to boom out on the tower. A stalemate ensued before both parties backed away, but Ash wasn't going to let this momentum go. "Electro Ball!" Pikachu then gathered electricity within its tail in the shape of a sphere and launched it forward. This was a direct hit against Umbreon and sent it right into the ground! "Yeah!"

"Payback!" Umbreon returned with a vengeance. The dark type pushed forward with a malicious aura around its body, slamming into Pikachu violently to send it tumbling back.

"Shadow Beam!" Tyranitar fired off a beam of darkness, aiming to shoot Salamance out of the sky before aiming at the Pokémon right in front of it.

"Cut!" Greninja drew two blades from its thighs and crossed them in an X formation in front of its body. This diverted the Shadow Beam around its body and left it safe from harm.

"Acrobatics!"

"Dragon Rush!"

Both Noivern and Salamance used their aerial mobility to their advantage, picking up speed with their movements as they neared Tyrantiar. Both dragon types slammed into the Shadow Pokémon at full force, their impacts creating a cloud of smoke. "Yeah!" Both Ash and Grace yelled….but little were they prepared for the sudden Eeveelution tag team! Umbreon and Espeon launched from the smoke, unleashing Dark Pulse and Psybeam respectively. The two attacks merged and blew both dragons away, although Noivern caught the worst of it and was KO'ed. That wasn't all, but it started to fall off the tower platform they were using to battle!

"Noivern!" Without a second of hesitation Ash ran forward and leapt off the Lumoise tower to catch Noivern.

"WHA….!?" Needless to say, Wes, Rui, and Grace were shocked by this action.

"Salamance get your act together and help!" Grace's panic demand was met. Salamance shook off the impact and flew as fast as it could, succeeding in making sure Ash and Noivern landed on its back before flying them back to the platform. Once they were safe Grace thumped Ash on the head. "Are you stupid!? You could've gotten really hurt!"

"S-Sorry…I wasn't thinking…" Ash admitted while returning Noivern, just glad it was safe. "This…isn't the first time I've jumped off this tower."

"…I don't want to know." Grace sighed.

"…Why would you…" Rui got lightheaded just from looking at the distance from their position on the tower to the ground. It was an enormous drop that no one would survive…yet Ash did it without a second thought.

"Yeah, you're crazy. But perhaps you should be paying more attention to what's in front of you!" As Wes spoke, a Shadow Beam was launched directly at the opposition! However, just before it reached, Blizzard intercepted the attack and it exploded before any harm was done. "Huh?" When everyone looked in the direction the Blizzard came from, they only saw one thing: Lovrina and her Alolan Ninetails. "Lovrina, there you are. I've been wondering you disappeared to."

"Lovrina…!" Boy was Ash glad to see her.

"I had to grab something important." Lovrina said while making her way down to their level. "But more importantly…I've decided that I quit." Those words put almost everyone in shock. Everyone but Wes.

"You quit?" Wes questioned. "On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that this is insane!" Lovrina shouted. "Have you even once thought about what we've done to that girl?! To Kasumi? Ever since I saw her again it's been eating me up on the inside! She's such a pure girl…and we tainted her with our own evil and selfish desires! That wasn't fair to her! She doesn't deserve what we've done to her!"

"Lovrina…" Grace bit her lip.

"It's too late for us to turn back now." Wes shrugged. "It's too late for her to turn back now either. You heard what she said before, didn't you?"

"W-what did she say…!?" Grace asked.

Lovrina shook her head. "I…I don't want to believe that it's too late yet. You! Rui…!"

"H-Huh!?" Rui blinked a few times and pointed at herself. Everything was happening so quickly she still wasn't exactly caught up to the situation. "Me?"

"Yes you! You saw her heart when she unleashed that power right!? Please…tell me what you saw. There's something I want to confirm…" Lovrina pleaded.

"W-well…" Rui had to think. "When she fought Venus…I saw overwhelming darkness…but in the middle of it all, I saw some light buried deep down." Rui then shifted her gaze to Wes. "T-That's what I want to see when I look at him, too…I know it's in there…" Although that part was mumbled incoherently under her breath.

Wes shook his head. "There's no hope for her. Are you not aware of her condition by now? That girl is…no, why spoil it. But Lovrina…do you really intend to side with those who are losing? You know where you belong: with Chiper…because no other place will accept you or your brother. Your talents are far too useful to let them go to waste. That's why I was overjoyed when you wished to rejoin my new organization. You and your brother are highly regarded."

"We'll find someplace else." Lovrina shook her head again. "I was a fool for allowing myself to get wrapped up in this…I can't say I didn't love the experiments…perhaps that's what makes my own heart evil. But Naps…he was just looking out for me too as a younger brother. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for what I caused…but I won't sit back and let things end like this. These guys…they've taught me a lot even as I spied on them. I never knew I could have such a smile before that performance with Serena…I didn't think I'd connect with these people as well as I did. But…they're my friends…and I can't leave them behind like this. Even with such a grim situation they still have the courage to come and fight you…that's the courage I lacked at the time. They face the darkness…undaunted."

"So…that's your answer…" Wes sighed. "Such a shame…insubordination is quite the hassle. But if you're siding with the team of Light…then you'll just be snuffed out."

"You don't understand anything do you?" Ash spoke up. "You don't know the exact reason we are fighting against you. It's not just about Kasumi or the Shadow Pokémon…you're trying to fill the world with darkness and rob people of their tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is never promised to us." Wes retorted. "Even small scale events can ruin someone's tomorrow."

"That may be true…" Ash admitted. "But tomorrow is still an important day around the world nonetheless! Tomorrow…people may find happiness. Tomorrow, people may find new friends in Pokémon or people! Tomorrow, young trainers finally start their journeys; tomorrow people may heal from injuries…the possibilities for a brighter tomorrow is endless!"

Wes finally sneered. Ash's words got under his skin and irritated him to the point where he actually began to raise his voice. "This is precisely why you sicken me! Always sticking your nose in the positives like that's the only reality to exist. The world is filled with darkness. People and Pokémon get sick, die…people are injured or done injustice. What is it about my tomorrow that makes it so bad from yours? My form of tomorrow already exists; nobody does anything about it though. The future is uncertain. You speak so highly of tomorrow, but you don't even know if you'll be able to make it until then. What do you say to that?!"

Ash clenched his hand into a fist as Wes spoke. "…It's true that tomorrow is uncertain. But I'd rather be uncertain of tomorrow than wallow in a tomorrow full of darkness and despair! I won't let you take that tomorrow away from us!"

"Kasumi's tomorrow is uncertain…" Grace muttered. "But I swore I'd do everything in my power to make sure she'd see as many days as she possibly could. You're not taking her future away anymore…I swear it."

"This is my decision." Lovrina gave a firm nod while placing her hands on her hips. "I still stand against you, Bo-…Wes. Their resolve…has really rubbed off on me and made me soft. But I prefer it this way. I want to see a tomorrow where the sun shines through these black clouds."

Wes closed his eyes, a smirk forming on his lips. "Heh…your pretentious self-righteousness irritates me right down to my very core. But I wouldn't have it any other way. This isn't just a clash of wills…this is a clash of ideals. Of course Light and Shadow are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I suppose we'll never truly see eye to eye on how this world works. But if you're all so intent on stopping me…then don't hold anything back." Umbreon and Espeon were looking exhausted, but they were so loyal to Wes that they'd fight with him to the bitter end. Tyranitar on the other hand just looked so anxious to tear something apart.

"…." Rui chewed on her lower lips as the discussion took place. She felt so out of place. Everyone was against Wes at this moment…but Rui still wanted to believe in him. She saw a faint light in his heart; a familiar warm light to her. How and why it was shrouded in darkness she couldn't figure out…but she couldn't pick sides. She knew her new friends were in the right, but she didn't want to betray Wes either. She was the only one who couldn't make a decision...

.

.

"I think we finally shook them off…" Serena panted as the group finally entered a small lab. Unfortunately for Elizabeth there were no chairs anywhere for some Arecus-forsaken room.

"Ugh…can't I sit down yet!?" Elizabeth complained. "Somebody else take her. I can't do this anymore…" Unfortunately Sycamore and Serena were scoping out the lab and didn't hear her. "Oh for the love of…"

"What's this…?" Serena noticed something that looked like a Mega Stone off in the corner. She picked it up and examined it. She didn't recognize the color. "Huh…? Maybe this is important…"

"This lab seems important…there may be a bigger one down the hall. I'd like to investigate, but we don't have the time. Let's keep moving." Sycamore's idea sounded like the best one….however before they could get too far, another door opened from the southern section of the lab. Nascour himself appeared with a Mega Metagross at his side.

"Now now…just where do you think you're going with our XD-002?" Nascour questioned while crossing his arms. Everyone froze in their place due to the intimidating presence this man gave off. His red eyes stared at all three of them. Elizabeth wanted to remark on how crazy his hair was, but instead she just found herself swallowing the lump in her throat. "Well?"

"W-We're taking her out of here!" Serena said while calling out Pancham and Slyveon once again.

"Who are you?" Sycamore questioned.

"Nascour. Vice Head of Chiper." Nascour responded.

"The 2nd in command?! Just how much worse could this get…?" Elizabeth wasn't complaining about carrying Kasumi now. She wanted to keep the poor girl as far away from Chiper as possible. "Listen…it's been a lovely visit, but we don't have the time for this."

"Then you may drop her and leave." Nascour calmly replied.

"Not on your life." Elizabeth responded with a glare. "Zoroark, Night Daze!"

"Fire Blast, Fairy Wind, and Dark Pulse!" Serena commanded.

"Dragon Pulse!" Syamore added onto this. All of their pokemon fired off their respective attacks at the Mega Metagross. Nascour did not a thing to stop them and their attacks landed directly and created a cloud of smoke. As that smoke cleared…Mega Metagross didn't flinch from its position. Sure, there were marks along its steel body but to say damage had been done would've been a little presumptuous. "No effect…"

"Are you kidding me…!? We blasted it as hard as we could!" Elizabeth did not the southern turn this situation was taking.

"Professor…you study Mega Evolution, correct?" Nascour prodded. "Then allow me to give you a taste of it firsthand. Flash Cannon." Metagross parted its lips and unleashed an exceptionally large beam of steel energy at those who opposed it. Impact resulted in a large explosion that sent Braxien, Pancham, Slyveon, Zoroark, and Garchomp flying backwards.

"Are you okay!?" Serena rushed over to her team, worriedly taking a glance at their injuries. "It's so strong…"

"I won't ask you again. Drop XD-002 and I will let you go. I cannot say the same for the rest of those in the building, however." Nascour made his demands clear. Metagross was preparing another Flash Cannon to cover any attempt of defiance. "You have three seconds."

"We didn't come this far to hand her back over…" Serena spoke quietly. She was hoping that Michael and his cavalry would come in for the save…but they were still busy fighting so the possibility of that seemed low.

"Time's up." Nascour snapped his fingers…and that's when the ceiling above collapsed! Everyone took a few steps back as a cloud of dust formed around the figures who dropped from the roof. "…?"

"…It appears we've made it just in time…"

Elizabeth's ears perked up at that voice. "I know that voice…!"

The dust settled to reveal Cynthia standing next to her Garchomp. They ruined quite a few floors to get to this location. Cynthia turned her attention to the others before Nascour. "Is everyone all right…?"

"You came to save me!? …Er, I mean…us…I mean us…" The sparkle in Elizabeth's eyes didn't really cover her tracks.

"You got here fast…" Nascour scoffed. "I thought you were in Lumoise. But since you're here it will permit me to ask you this: How's that head injury?"

"Trade secret." Cynthia remarked before turning her head back to Nascour, glaring at the male. "You know, I've had a minor headache the past few days. It's actually really irritating believe it or not."

"Are you two acquainted…?" Sycamore didn't really think he'd have to ask such a question.

"You could say that." Cynthia replied. "During the tournament…we had a battle and I managed to get information out of him. However he had one of his lackeys attack me from behind, which is why I was unconscious for a while. We have some unfinished business…and to be honest that encounter has left such a horrid taste in my mouth. You could say things worked out for me quite well. Now then…I'm only going to say this once, so I hope you're listening: Kasumi is not yours to do with as you please. We will make sure of that, understand? So it's time you messed with someone over your size. Let's see how you like it."

To those words Nascour only grinned. "It's good to see the Sinnoh Champion fighting with such fervor. These young trainers weren't going to pose any threat to me…but clearly you're something of a different level. Shall we resume from where we last left off?"

"Gladly." Cynthia had a grin on her lips. It wasn't a happy one but…there was definitely some anger in it, understandably so. "But I assure you this: things will not turn out like last time. There's too much at stake to lose now." Chiper Vice vs Sinnoh Champion…a clash between two terrible titans was underway.

.

.

Next Time: Those Who Will Change The World.


	67. Chapter 67: Who The Future Belongs To!

Nascour grinned while Cynthia glared. The tension in the room was rising as the Sinnoh Champion and Vice Head of Chiper stared each other down. Garchomp vs. Mega Metagross…was she going to be all right? It wasn't Cynthia's strength that was in question here…but Nascour's was unknown. If he gave Cynthia a hard time before then it was likely he would again. "Such a scowl doesn't suit a young woman such as yourself. You'll get worry lines. Venus worries about those all the time."

"…I actually have a question for you." Cynthia crossed her arms. She and Garchomp kept their guard up in the event Nascour attempted some trick maneuver. "This is something that's been on my mind for a very long time now…why does Wes have such a following here? Considering he trounced this organization before…I heard you were an avid follower of the first leader: Evice."

"Your information is correct." Nascour replied. "Evice was a man I respected and followed. I posed as the head of Chiper until he revealed himself to that boy. But once he was defeated…I believed that to be the end. Of course the next generation came through but their efforts were nothing compared to what we did first. Why do people follow the current Grandmaster? Good question…"

"You're really going to act like you don't know?" Elizabeth questioned.

"It's quite simple really. Believe it or not…there are some people who actually admire the Grandmaster. Those are the people who rejoined Chiper without a second thought…then you have people such as Venus, and Dakim. The three who supposedly hated him the most also had the most to gain from this reform. The three legendary beasts were returned to them, along with a few other things. For others…they simply had no place to go. Chiper happily accepted those who had nowhere to go; I'd put Lovrina as a member of that group. But she loved the research and is largely responsible for the occurrences today, along with Ein."

"You don't fall under any of those categories." Cynthia narrowed her eyes.

"Then there are those who refused to join. But I was struck with a deal. If I could defeat him in a Pokémon battle, then I would usurp control from him and get rid of him on the spot. But I'm sure you can see how that ended up." Nascour sighed. "I've been stuck following that whelp's orders since. But I can say it's all paid off…look at the sky. It's a beautiful shade of black. Now then…I have a question for all of you: why are you trying to save that girl? What do you gain out of that?"

"That's two questions." Elizabeth pointed out but Serena jabbed her with her elbow to shush her.

"Her future doesn't belong to you." Serena spoke up. "She's endured so much because of your selfishness…so we won't allow you to control her tomorrow. Kasumi hasn't woken up yet…but when she does she'll see the sun shining…!"

Nascour shook his head at Serena's words. "You realize such is a hopeless situation. That girl cannot escape her darkness…yet you still fight to protect her? Judging by the look on your face…you are already aware of her fate."

All eyes turned to Serena as she stared at Kasumi. "Serena…do you know something?" Sycamore asked.

"I….I was supposed to keep this a secret until Ash and Marcus finished fighting. I was going to tell everyone after, but there was no time." Serena paused, unable to find the words. "K-Kasumi…she…her body…it won't hold out for much longer. It was already bad after she fought Venus…but after she had an episode against Ash it…it got worse. She'll die soon unless we purify her…a-and even then it's not a sure thing…"

"W-What…?" Elizabeth turned her head to stare at Kasumi. "You're saying she might not make it at the end of this!? That can't be right…!"

"Why in the world would you keep this a secret?" Cynthia cut her eyes at Serena.

"I-I'm sorry!" Serena bowed her head in apology. "Kasumi pleaded me to! I couldn't say no…"

"Precisely." Nascour commented. "So I ask again…why are you trying to save a ticking time bomb? Furthermore…the moment you removed her from the Shadow Stability machine…you sealed her fate. But you just brought the inevitable even closer and I thank you for that. It saves me quite a bit of trouble."

"What are you talking about…?" Cynthia wasn't liking Nascour's tone.

Nascour's malicious smile widened. "You see…XD-002 is the key to defeating Wes and bringing down the Chiper organization. However…I'm only interested in the first goal."

"The key…?" Sycamore repeated.

"That's right. Her power is extremely unstable and could explode at any minute. Before that happens I intend to use her to her full potential and bring down Wes once and for all. Then I will take over as Chiper's head and plunge this world into darkness."

"Internal strife? How pathetic." Cynthia scoffed. "But I know for sure you won't be touching another hair on that girl's head. That I assure you. We will stop Wes our own way."

Nascour chuckled softly at Cynthia's statement. "As long as you are willing to keep that girl alive, you'll never stop him. It takes the hand of a callous leader to truly stop Wes."

"The fact that you're actually willing to sacrifice this girl for your own selfish gains…" Cynthia was…angry. Very, very angry. "I won't allow it."

"You're so intent on saving this girl no matter what…very well. How about you take a walk in her shoes then in our battle." Nascour snapped his fingers and the lab reacted immediately. "Subject: XD-002. Target: Cynthia. Activate: Shadow Room."

The lab shone a bright white light while scanning over everyone present. Once the lab confirmed that Kasumi was there, shadow power just started to leak out of the poor girl uncontrollably. Kasumi kept her eyes shut, but the ensuing scream of pain showed she was suffering. "A-AAAAHHHH! I-It hurts…! Help me…"

"W-What is this!?" Elizabeth tried to pull Kasumi out of the lab, but for some reason she just wouldn't budge. "Huh!?"

The room started to turn a shade of black. The darkness from Kasumi leaked out into the entire room and even Cynthia. A black chain wrapped around her chest tightly along with Garchomp's. It didn't constrict movement but it felt extremely heavy. "W-What is this…!?" Cynthia demanded to know. Eventually Kasumi was freed and her body just fell limp against Elizabeth's back like dead weight.

"This is part of Ein's research: how to use Shadow Power in more than just corrupting people and Pokémon." Nascour explained. "This is based off of Trick Room, but with a twist. Every time Garchomp takes damage, you will suffer along with it. That chain will tighten around your heart until it breaks. If you cannot defeat me your rescue ends here. If you do end up winning, then you can leave. Simple enough, don't you think?"

Sycamore didn't like this one bit. "Cynthia…if you must, use my Mega Stone and Key Stone to…

"No." Nascour shook his head. "Do you really think testing Mega Evolution in such an unstable environment would help? Unless you're planning for utter ruin…in which case I'd label you more devious than I thought. And don't worry, the girl isn't dead. I just used some of that excess Shadow Power that was leaking out to fuel this. I still need her alive."

Cynthia shook her head, undeterred by her conditions. "I wouldn't want it anyway. I'm going to settle this fight of ours the same way it began."

"How stubborn, yet admirable of you." Nascour stroked his chin as the very structure of the lab started to change, resembling that of an actual battlefield. "Now…let us test the limits of your heart. Will you break?"

.

Inkay, Gourgeist, and Meowth were all thrown backwards by the Solrock and Lunatone combination of Snattle's. But that wasn't to say Snattle was having an easy time; Team Rocket's annoying tenacity actually gave him some difficultly. "Agh! What's with this group of randoms!? They're standing in my way of being the ruler of Kalos…!"

"Didn't you hear us before!? We're Team Rocket!" James reiterated. "And we're here to defeat Chiper in the name of Giovanni! Inkay, Psybeam!" Inkay flipped around while releasing a kinetic beam of energy towards Snattle's pair.

"Lunatone, Power Gem!" Lunatone conjured up several stones with its kinetic abilities and launched them forward towards the incoming Psybeam. The two attacks exploded on contact and created a cloud of smoke.

"Gourgeist, Shadow Ball!" Jessie's command came in the nick of time. Gourgeist launched off a Shadow Ball into the smoke which collided against Solrock, sending the celestial body flying back until it hit the ground.

"Gah!" Snattle was beginning to panic. He wasn't expecting to be driven into a corner by this trio of nobodies! "This is preposterous! I am Snattle! Future governor of both Orre and Kalos! This can't be happening!"

"Why don't you put a sock in it!" Meowth shouted. "We're Team Rocket! And we were here first ya know!"

"W-Wait…you've been talking this entire time!?" Yes Snattle, there's been a talking Meowth in your face. Solrock, Fire Blast! Lunatone, Power Gem!" Solrock recovered from the previous hit and wasted no time gathering fire within…er…around its body, releasing the gigantic symbol of flame forward along with Lunatone's rocks.

"Hey Wobbefett, block it!" Jessie didn't even need to shove Wobbefett forward this time. Wobbefett did so on its own while activating Mirror Coat. While it had to tank the two attacks, the power reflected back was exceptional! The large beam of raw energy consumed the sun and moon duo, blasting them through a wall in a KO'ed state.

"WHA!? NO!" Snattle cried out. "T-This isn't good…if news of this gets out…I'll be ruined!" The admin tried to make a run for it, but James activated the net gun and ensnared him within the trap. "Agh! No…! Release me this instant!"

"You're not going anywhere." James said with a smirk. "That's one Admin caught. Now where are the others? Giovanni's going to love this."

Jessie held the camera around to get footage of the captured Snattle. "We're going to get high praise for sure!"

"That's right!" Meowth chimed in.

.

"Now then…let us begin. Flash Cannon!" Metagross gathered silver energy before releasing it in the form of a widespread beam that cut across the Shadow Room while soaring towards Garchomp.

"Dig!" Garchomp burrowed into the ground, allowing the Flash Cannon to fly above it and explode elsewhere in the room. Serena and the others had to take evasive maneuvers to ensure they didn't get caught in the blast radius. "Brick Break!" Garchomp rose from the ground attempting to strike Metagross, but the effort was evaded. Cynthia predicted this, which is why she had Garchomp attack once more. Garchomp violently swung its fin down at Metagross' head, but one metallic arm impeded its progress. "Again!" Garchomp brought its other fin forward, only to be blocked by a second arm. "Tch! Get back!"

"Oh no, you won't be escaping so easily. Ice Punch." Metagross' third arm was coated in a layer of ice which was forced into Garchomp's chest. The frosty impact made both Garchomp and Cynthia recoil. The black chains around their hearts tightened considerably from that impact alone.

"Are you okay?!" Elizabeth voiced her concern immediately.

"That stung…" Cynthia groaned before regaining her composure.

"Meteor Mash!" Metagross held all four arms forward as a cyan clue aura coated its body. It pulled itself backwards before launching itself at Garchomp at terrifying speeds!

"Dragon Rush!" Garchomp recovered quickly and roared as a draconic aura flared around its body and it rushed forward, slamming into Metagross for a fierce statemate! A shockwave exploded from their collision. Both parties were eventually thrown backwards, however Cynthia was well prepared for this scenario. "Fire Blast!" As Garchomp slid backwards it gathered searing flames within its mouth and unleashed the gigantic blaze at Metagross! This was a direct hit and Metagross was forced even further back.

"Yes! She pushed it back!" Serena cheered.

"Impressive. I see you haven't lost your tact." Nascour chuckled.

"I don't want your praise." Cynthia shook her head. "Stone Edge!" Garchomp slammed its fist into the ground, creating azure stones that rose from the floor sporadically to try and corner Metagross.

"Flash Cannon!" Metagross fired off another Flash Cannon. Mega Metagross was no joke as it easily tore through the stones…but it never struck Garchomp! It was gone again! "Huh…?"

"Now!" Garchomp's Stone Edge was merely a distraction for the true attack: Dig. Garchump rose from underneath Metagross, forcefully lifting it high into the air against its will. "Pursue and slam it down with your tail!" Garchomp leapt from the hole it created and used its speed so soar above Metragross. It didn't technically know any moves involving its tail, but would you want to get slammed by a Garchomp's tail in any situation? Garchomp sharply twisted its lower body, aiming to crush Metagross with its tail.

"Grab it!" Unfortunately for Cynthia, Metagross recovered in the nick of time and latched onto Garchomp's tail with all form arms to ensure it wasn't getting away.

"…!"

"Now toss it down and use Flash Cannon!" Metagross spun around a few times before finally releasing Garchomp, allowing it to fall towards the ground. Before too much distance was gained a Flash Cannon struck and consumed Garchomp, pushing it into the lab floor with force. Cynthia felt the pain as well and bit her tongue to keep from crying out, but her legs did shake a little bit. Humans weren't built like Pokémon…but neither of them were built for special circumstances such as this. "Did that hurt?" Nascour taunting asked. "This only scratches the surface of what we can do with Shadow Power and Shadow Trainers!"

"This is how Kasumi has felt this entire time right?" Cynthia almost started bleeding from how hard she bit on her tongue. "…She's strong to endure this much…but I swore to you that I wouldn't let you have your way with her anymore…so I have to be stronger. This doesn't hurt at all! Right Garchomp?" Garchomp stood up and roared as a response.

"…" Kasumi was still unconscious but…her lips did twitch slightly.

"An attitude befitting a Champion. But I wonder how long it will be until that heart breaks. Hammer Arm!" Metagross flew forward with one of its arm prepared to lay the smackdown. Getting hit by weight like that was going to be devastating no matter what you were.

And yet…Cynthia was going to face this head on. "Brick Break!" Garchomp was the one defending now. By bringing its fin up, it blocked the powerful Hammer Arm, but not without some recoil. Even Cynthia cringed as her arm throbbed in pain, but she wasn't going to quit. Metagross attempted to use its second arm, but this was also blocked.

"I didn't take you a fool for falling for the same thing twice! Ice Punch!" Both of Metagross' free hands were covered in frost and it aimed to sandwich Garchomp within its frozen fists!

"Now, back up!" Garchomp pushed back at the last second, allowing Metagross to nearly fall over due to the momentum it put into attacking nothing. Garchomp then swung its tail forward once again to knock Metagross off balance even more. "Dig!" And Garchomp created yet another hole in the ground. The amount of holes were racking up due to how Cynthia was overusing Dig.

"You can't keep hiding in the ground forever. Flash Cannon into that hole!" Metagross floated above the newly created hole, firing off a Flash Cannon right into it. One could tell it was a direct hit because Cynthia grimaced noticeably. "Again." Another Flash Cannon; more damage.

"Did she corner herself into the ground…?" Serena spoke worriedly.

"No way…" Elizabeth refused to believe Cynthia could be cornered at all. "She's got a plan…just wait for it…"

"…." Cynthia was holding on, despite how rough things appeared to be. Metagross was slowly moving over the floor, closer and closer to the center to keep tabs on Garchomp. One second later and Cynthia had them right where she wanted them. "Fire Blast!" The floor started to turn a bright, vibrant orange color. Before Nascour could decipher what was going on, the holes Cynthia created prior erupted with pillars of fire. It wasn't long before the entire field was set ablaze! Metagross was caught in its wake, crying out in pain as the flames lifted it off the ground. "Dragon Rush!" An injured Garchomp rose from the fiery floor and cloaked itself in energy along with the flames around the field, slamming right into Metagross with such force it flew into a nearby wall for a very effective hit!

"I knew it!" Elizabeth cheered. "That's my (dream) girl!"

"Your what?" Cynthia didn't look back but she did hear that.

"KICK HIS BUTT!" Nice save, Liz.

Metagross slowly recovered from impact. It was starting to feel the damage but it was still too sturdy a foe to go down that easily. "Very impressive…using the field to your advantage that way. It seemed too easy if you were truly cornered like that. But you were just taking some hits weren't you?"

"….I have no intentions of speaking to you." Cynthia retorted.

"Fair." Nascour could understand that. "But even so…do you want some more information about XD-002? Do you know why she's currently in that state? It's because she was threatened by our Grandmaster."

"…..What do you mean?" Sycamore asked.

"Wes told her if she didn't win the tournament…he was going to exterminate all of you. Of course she couldn't have known it was coming to a scale as grand as this…but the thought alone was more than enough to put her in a panic." Nascour clarified.

"So when she was losing to Ash…that's why…" Serena understood now…and it just made her mad that they manipulated Kasumi like this.

"But that's all the information I'm willing to divulge. Are we done playing these games?" Nascour asked with a bored sigh. "I believe I've had my fun playing with you."

"You take this so lightly…like this really is a game…people like you who have no regard for human life infuriate me." Cynthia admitted. "Brick Break!" Garchomp stampeded forward once again, aiming a downward strike at Metagross' head. Metagross evaded, but as soon as Garchomp's fin hit the ground stones began rising up. Stone Edge was active and one of the stones rose up from under Metagross and sent it into the air. "Again!"

"Flash Cannon!" Metagross recovered incredibly fast and unleashed another Flash Cannon. This time Garchomp brought its arms up to block the hit and mitigate the damage, but it was forced back to the ground while Cynthia felt her arms burn. "I have more important things to attend to now. Hand over XD-002."

"We'll do no such thing! Dragon Rush!" Garchomp bellowed as it flew at Metagross once again.

"Hammer Arm." Metagross brought one arm back and swung it down with force, colliding with Garchomp! However…it still had three arms left. "Bullet Punch." With its other three hands, high speed punches were delivered all across Garchomp's body. Bullet Punch's priority was dangerous in such a situation. "Ice Punch." And finally, the deadly combination was ended with an Ice Punch right to Garchomp's face!

Both trainer and pokemon recoiled harshly from those impacts. Garchomp fell to a knee and Cynthia practically did the same, heaving heavily from the chains tightening. It felt so tight she could barely breathe. "Ah…Agh…"

"Cynthia!"

"Don't come any closer…!" Cynthia warned. Nascour was still far too dangerous for them to handle.

"It's not as easy as you thought, is it?" Nascour questioned. "Feeling the pain of your Pokémon in this harsh shadow world we've created. You look like you're about to break any moment…"

"I'm fine." Cynthia sneered. She was struggling to bring herself back up after those hits. "Sorry to disappoint…but it'll take more than this to make me break, Nascour."

"How annoying." Nascour sighed. "Why do you continue this fight knowing it's pointless? You won't save that girl…and this world will soon be covered in a beautiful canvas of pitch black. You still fight knowing that it's hopeless? What are you even fighting for? I won't go and sound familiar by saying this world is ugly. But it is stained by the evil deeds of this organization and other criminal acts. Why fight for a world where darkness and light constantly fight with one another? Darkness always lurks. It's better if it's just out in the open…that way the world will be a better place. There will be less conflict if everyone turned out like XD-002: tools of war with no emotion…People and Pokémon both treading down a path that will remain free of conflict and turmoil. The one's who will make the world a better place will be Chiper…once I get rid of Wes. Then I can achieve Evice's dream."

"T-that's horrible…" Serena gasped. "Y-You're really willing to subjugate more people to what Kasumi had to go through…?!"

"It's people like you that can never be forgiven…and that drive society into conflict with itself." Sycamore glared.

"But it's also people like me who make things happen. Wes and I share the same goal…but only one of us will be reaching it." Nascour's red eyes seemed to glow with a sick joy. "The world will be perfect under this black sky once all the light is snuffed out."

Cynthia balled her hand into a fist. She could take no more of this. "…What is it with you Nihilist type people and your ambitious!?"

"Hmmm?" Nascour quirked a brow at Cynthia's words.

"You all want to permanently change the world because there's some part of it you can't agree with! Like I told another certain team leader, you cannot just wipe out all human emotion for your own benefit! That in itself is inhumane!" Cynthia shouted at the top of her lungs.

"So? This world is dim and bleak. People die every day, as do Pokémon. There's violence everywhere…this world is filled with darkness and sadness. You're truly risking your life to safe a single girl? I find it pointless. You won't stop Wes otherwise, or me." Nascour reiterated. "This is a world where the weak are sacrificed to help the strong…the brutally of this world goes deeper than you'll ever know, Sinnoh Champion. This girl is an example of that. Her future no longer exists."

"That attitude right there…is what angers me the most. Yes, I know this world is filled with pain and darkness…but there is also light. This is the same world that gives people their friends, family and Pokémon. This is a world where the sun can shine bright and where once and a lifetime chances can happen. This is a world where the future is uncertain…"

"Death is uncertain." Nascour sighed while shaking his head.

"That is true." Cynthia agreed. "Even in the face of that…why do you think we're all here, fighting against Chiper? They are all fighting as hard as they can, putting their lives on the line to ensure that this world we live in can be a better place. These Pokémon Trainers stand in the face of the darkness of the world and stand against it! They are undaunted by its ugliness! That's why they fight." Cynthia was made her way back to her feet. "If this is a world where you rob the futures of people like Kasumi and plan on sacrificing them for your own evil deeds…then that is a world I will fight to the bitter end!" This was one of those rare times both of her eyes were visible, and there was nothing but passion in them.

"…Tch! What utter rubbish." Nascour shook his head. "You're telling me that I'm wrong? ME?"

Cynthia finally got a rise out of him. She couldn't help but grin to that. "You were wrong about something else too. The future of the world doesn't belong Chiper. That's not for you to decide. Those who will change the world…are the Pokémon Trainers like those standing behind me…those who are fighting in Lumoise right now."

There was no way Nascour was believing what he was hearing. "What?! You honestly believe the world will survive with trainers such as those? You entrust the future them already!?"

"…I have no way of knowing that." Cynthia replied with a shrug. Seems she found her second with due to the attitude she was giving off. "The future is uncertain after all. But I have a feeling that they'll know the right direction when the time comes. And I'll belong to give them a stern talking to if they don't live up to my expectations."

"We won't let you down." Serena said with a bright smile.

"That's right! We're right behind you!" Elizabeth nodded in agreement; Cynthia was expecting things from her now, there was no way she couldn't not live up to them. Nobody took notice of it…but even Kasumi's lips finally tugged to a small, positive smile.

"I've heard enough of this garbage! This black world will belong to me! METEOR MASH!" Metagross rushed forward at full throttle.

"You can try and chain our hearts all you want…but a strong heart will not yield. Garchomp, Dig!" Garchomp buried into the ground to avoid the Meteor Mash, but Nascour wasn't having that.

"You can't run away forever! Hammer Arm!" Metagross prepared to use all of its momentum to crush the very lab into nothing but a ruin. However, just before its arm struck the ground Grachomp emerged, latching onto Metagross' arm. "WHAT!?"

"Time for you to receive a taste of your own medicine. I hope it's not too strong for you. Toss it and use Dragon Rush!" Garchomp spun the heavy Metagross around in the air before hurling it up, slamming into its body with Dragon Rush! This was only to create distance for the coup de grace. "Fire Blast!" As Garchomp descended towards the ground it unleashed a massive blaze that engulfed Metagross. Remember that gigantic hole she made in the ceiling for her entrance? Metagross was blasted through that so everyone at Chiper HQ would know who the real top dog was. After a moment or two, Metagross fell back into the lab with swirls in its eyes and reverted to normal. That alone was enough for the Shadow Room to disperse along with those troublesome chains around Cynthia and Garchomp. "And that…is checkmate. Chiper Vice Head Nascour…you lose."

"SHE DID IT!" Elizabeth nearly screamed. She somehow had the strength to jump for joy even with Kasumi on her back.

"She fits the role of champion well…" Syacmore nodded with a smile.

"N-No…I lost…t-this can't be happening…!?" Nascour's demeanor completely changed. It was around this time that Michael and Eldes dropped in from above to essentially corner him.

"It's over, Nascour." Cynthia repeated.

Nascour tried to make a break for it but a net caught him. Jessie grinned at the successful catch. "Two in one day? It seems today really is our lucky day!"

"Huh…? Where'd these guys come from?" Michael's question only gathered sweat drops from those who knew of Team Rocket. "Anyway…I snagged all the Shadow Pokémon present and we restrained Gorigan. Gonzap is watching over him now. Does this mean we win?"

"I believe so. We've completely defeated everyone at the Chiper HQ." Eldes gave a stern nod while looking around. There was something he was very curious about concerning this lab. "Nascour…what is in this lab?"

"Heh…. A secret weapon of course." Nascour chuckled dryly. "It was originally to abuse Mewtwo's power, but…" Nascour snapped his fingers from the web, causing the back wall to open up. There was a large machine containing a moderately sized sphere of raw Shadow Energy. Nascour knew it was over for him…so he was going to accept this defeat graciously.

"It's so much better when they're cooperative…" Michael let out a sigh of relief before examining the data on the computer. Considering what Nascour just said, it would be bad if they didn't look at it. "Mewtwo, huh? How on earth did you manage to capture a Pokémon like that….more importantly, what is this research about…? Mewtwo's in Lumoise, right? So why…"

"I don't understand what this is all about…but can we please come back here later? I have a really bad feeling about this…" Serena spoke cautiously while looking at that sphere of Shadow Power. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I. It would be prudent for us to make our escape. Miror B will likely find his own way back." Eldes said.

"Yeah, I don't really like leaving that guy alone in a place like this…but it can't be helped." Michael sighed. "I'll just see what the professor has to say about this data and…"

 _"_ _SUBJECT: XD-002 LOCATED. COMMENCING OPERATION."_ The lab itself spoke as the lights briefly dimmed out. When they shone again, the same thing happened to Kasumi from before. The Shadow Power within her body was being used against her and she cried out in pain once again.

"Whoa what's that?!" Michael asked. "It's reacting to her!? But why…?" That was the least of their problems. Kasumi's body was starting to…float away. More specifically, float towards that sphere of darkness.

"Hey!? No! Stay!" Elizabeth tried to hold onto Kasumi, but the opposing force was way too strong! Even with Cynthia, Serena, Sycamore, Michal, and Eldes' help they were unable to fight against it!

"Hey hey what's this about!?" Jessie had no clue what was going on and that only made things more nerve wracking. Kasumi was eventually forced from the group's hold and flew eight into the sphere of darkness. All remained silent for a moment a large pillar of darkness exploded from Chiper HQ, towering high into black sky as a result….

.

.

Next Time: Purification.


	68. Chapter 68: Purification

Zygarde slammed its skull into Mewtwo's chest, sending it flying through a building. Mewtwo caught itself on the ground, however before it could react Zygarde used Land's Wrath once again. The shockwaves caused the very ground to break apart and this forced Mewtwo to take into the air, where it was met with Zygarde's tail to send it back into the earth! Mewtwo was growing extremely irritated and hurled a Shadow Ball at Zygarde. This was a direct hit as the glob of darkness exploded against the Kalos defender, sending it skidding back. Mewtwo was about to unleash a Hyper Beam, however blasts of water and fire caused it to float back. "…?"

Entei and Suicune joined the fray along with Zygarde. Now that they were no longer controlled by Dakim and Venus they were free to do as they wished, which included fixing the mess that they were unconsciously apart of. Zygarde noticed this and welcomed the assistance. Despite the damage that it was doing to Shadow Mewtwo, there was something that kept it going and this fight couldn't go on forever. _"Your assistance is appreciated. But isn't there one more of you? Wherever may it be? I do not think we will continue to make much progress unless all three of you are present."_ Zygarde said to the beast of fire and water.

.

"They're really fighting hard…" Marcus said while watching Zygarde, Entei, and Suicune battle against Shadow Mewtwo. He regrouped with Scott, Kayla, Lore, Bonnie, and Blaziken Mask. "I still can't believe that thing is Squishy…"

"More importantly…" Scott pointed out. "Suicune and Entei are the only beasts present. Raikou is missing from this equation…I do not think they'll be able to push through without its assistance."

"My brother must be fighting Raikou…" Bonnie fiddled with her hands while staring at the front door to the Lumoise Tower. She was worried about Clemont's progress against Ein. It was basically up to him if the subjugation of Mewtwo was to be a success. The young girl's eyes then glanced up at the top of the tower where the battle against Wes was occurring. Things were slowly beginning to reach their climax and the next few moments weighted heavily on the battle.

.

Ein took a brief glance outside with the battle against Mewtwo. He was…amused by the happenings in Lumoise. "Fufufu…look at all the Caterpie trying to fight against Mewtwo. Even if Suicune and Entei are joining the fray it changes nothing."

"What's so amusing about this?" Clemont quirked a brow. Ein's ability to laugh in this situation made him extremely upset. He was also aware that he needed to find a way to free Raikou as quickly as possible so it could join the others against Mewtwo.

"Watching you all fight has me so amused. You could see it tickles my funny bone…" Ein admitted. "You are all so very stubborn…intent on fighting against Chiper's will until the very end. I suppose the fault lies in myself for not crushing you as soon as we began. But with our battle drawing to a close…I believe it's time to turn things up a notch." Ein walked over to the shadow machine, flipping a compartment open that revealed a big black button. "Show me the face of your despair!" Ein then slammed his hand down on the button before Clemont could stop him. The machine blared, growing a dangerous red color as a powerful beam of darkness shot out towards Mewtwo. This was amplified Shadow Power and everyone stopped as the visible beam struck the Shadow Pokémon.

"W-What are you doing!?" Clemont asked.

"I'm showing you why you should despair." Ein chuckled.

Mewtwo froze as the beam of Shadow Power struck him. Eyes widened and it just started acting completely on its own. Mewtwo unleashed a powerful bellow as a shockwave released from its body, crushing the remains of some buildings while Entei, Suicune, and Zygarde were blown away. Mewtwo then rose into the air and lifted its arms as a cloud of darkness formed within its hands. The Shadow Pokémon unleashed multiple beams of Shadow Energy that shot out not just around Lumoise City, but spread to various areas of the Kalos region as well! Explosions occurred everywhere and it was difficult to ascertain how much damage was done.

.

Lovrina's eyes widened as Mewtwo's power only increased through Ein's forceful means. She knew she made the right decision changing sides because she couldn't bear to watch this anymore. "Wes! We have to seriously pull the plug on this! You're damage the psyche of both Tyranitar and Mewtwo! Don't you see that we have to stop!?"

"I won't stop." Wes said with his tone growing louder. "If you want me to stop, you'll have to kill me."

"…!" Hearing those words made Rui gasp. She nearly went into shock because she couldn't believe what she just heard.

"Y-You're insane…" Grace grumbled.

"That's too far…" Ash shook his head.

"If you want me to stop…you'll have to finish me yourselves. Because if you don't…I'll use every ounce of energy in my body to ensure that you'll never arrive to that tomorrow you spoke of earlier. Umbreon, Dark Pulse. Espeon, Psybeam." Umbreon and Espeon sprinted forward while unleashing their combination of Psybeam and Dark Pulse; the two attacks merged together while racing towards the opposition.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja took a few steps forward while reaching for a shuriken on its back, hurling it forward to slice through the combination attack. Umbreon and Espeon's growing tiredness was showing as their combination was sliced through easily. Both Eeveelutions still had enough energy to leap away from the dangerous Water Shuriken heading their way.

"Please stop this…" Rui mumbled.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu darted forward, swinging its tail at Espeon's midsection. It was a direct hit and Espeon tumbled along the ground.

"Moon Blast!" Lovrina commanded. Ninetails unleashed a widespread beam of fairy energy that completely consumed Umbreon. Umbreon, being the most resilient of the pair, growled while sliding backwards, refusing to yield to its opponents for the sake of its trainer. "What the heck…no wonder those two are such a formidable pair…they're so strong…"

"Guys….please stop this…" Rui was stuck on repeat, but in the heat of battle it didn't look like anyone could hear her.

Wes knew that Umbreon and Espeon wanted to fight until they dropped, and he wasn't going to deny them of that wish. So he nodded to his two long time partners, giving them their wish to fight for as long as they were able. "Swift! Dark Pulse!"

"Let's finish those two off!" Grace told Ash who nodded in agreement. "Salamance, end it with Fire Blast!"

"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"

The four attacks were sent towards each other with malicious intent. All eyes were on each other and Rui just couldn't take it anymore. Without putting much thought into her actions she stood up and began rushing forward, standing directly at the point where all attacks were meant to clash. "I SAID STOP IT!"

"WHAT!?"

BOOM! All of these attacks collided on Rui in a massive explosion, all eyes wide from the collision. As the smoke steadily began to clear from around her…she was hurt, bad. But she was still standing with both of her arms held out, panting heavily with one eye shut. Her jacket, shirt, and skirt were completely marred by damage marks. "I-I said…stop…"

"R-Rui…!?" Ash couldn't believe what just happened.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Wes was actually worried about Rui's injuries. He couldn't believe she had the nerve to jump between all those attacks like that.

"Yeah! Are you stupid or something!?" It was ironic how everyone could come together when it came to Rui's wellbeing. Lovrina was about to take a few steps forward but Rui's glance told her to stop. "…?!"

"I…I kept telling you all to stop…but no one heard me…so I had to get your attention somehow…" Rui hissed in pain.

"You did this just to get our attention…?" Grace bit her lip. "Are you insane!? Look at how hurt you are!"

"I'm…fine…" Rui winced before standing up straight, however she did hold onto her arm. "A-As I was saying…I…I can't watch this fighting anymore! You're all my friends…there are more important things to worry about! Mewtwo is in danger and so is Tyranitar. The darkness emanating from them is close to tainting their very souls!"

"I told you, I'm not going to stop." Wes crossed his arms.

"I see…" Rui frowned while staring down at the ground.

"Don't you see what he's doing is wrong?" Ash asked.

"…I still can't give up him." Rui shook her head. It was at this point that Ash, Grace, and Lovrina began growing tense. Rui was neutral in the battle thus far…but the last thing they needed was for her to join Wes' side. "Wes has been my friend and partner for a long time…we saved Orre together…he saved me after all…"

"…So you're taking me up on our deal after all…?" Wes tilted his head.

"I should've seen it from the start…but I let my own heart cloud my feelings. But even then…when we were together for that short time, I felt like nothing changed…" The red-head's hand clenched into a fist. "But things have changed…you're different now. And so am I…I can't just stand here and watch as everyone fights. I have to fight too, even if it means being at odds with someone I care about…I've picked my side…" Rui nodded to Plusle. The response was sparks beginning to dance around its body. "Plusle…use Thunder." Plusle nodded and released a gigantic bolt of lightning…directly at Wes! The shock was a direct hit and left everyone bewildered. "I choose to fight with them! You told me to use Plusle to give a shock to any idiot I come across…and you're my idiot, you dummy!"

"G-Ghhhhh!" Wes groaned in pain until the Thunder subsided. With sparks dancing around his body, he almost fell to a knee while staring up at Rui. "…I see…so that's your answer…" There was a small smile on Wes' lips. "So you're turning your back on me as well…"

Eyes widened at such phrasing. Rui shook her head rapidly before pointing at Wes. "I am NOT turning my back on you! It's nothing of the sort! I need you to see with your own two eyes that what you're doing is wrong! I'm doing this to save you…just like you saved me."

"Yet, as you walk away…your back faces me…" Wes shook his head with a scoff. "That's fine…I don't need you to help my plans go along…at this point I don't need anyone else. I'll plunge this world into darkness all on my own!"

"It's that right there!" Rui kept her finger pointed accusingly at Wes. "It's that new attitude of yours! Try as you might, you will not drive me away again! Because right now…this new you…you are NOT the Wes I remember!" And it seemed those words from Rui's mouth hit a mark. Wes shut up for once, only managing to respond with a scowl. "Even as I stand against you…I still believe in that warm light in your heart. So even if it hurts me to do it…I'll do whatever I can to drag you out of that cesspool of darkness!"

"…She got so passionate; I think she forgot she was injured…" Lovrina said while placing her hands on her hips. "Boss – I mean, Wes, talked about her a lot in the beginning stages of the operation. Now I see why…these two are something else. But don't think you can steal the spotlight from us like that." The Ex-Admin grinned. "All we have to do is take Wes down! I'm sure Clemont will take care of Ein for us. Once that's done, I have a plan to purify Mewtwo!"

"Right…" Rui nodded. "I hope you're ready for me Wes…because I won't be holding back! Not even against you two…" Solemn words were spoken to Espeon and Umbreon, who stared at Rui with admiration. She was nothing like they remembered…she was really standing on her own. And truth be told: they really didn't want to fight her.

"….It seems our time apart has truly done you some good." Wes gave a dry chuckle while returning Umbreon and Espeon, allowing them to rest while pulling them out of the battle. He wasn't going to subject them to a battle they wished to have no part in. "Very well. Then let's…" Before Wes could finish something in Tyranitar snapped. The Shadow Pokémon bellowed as a dark aura expelled from its body, slowly turning a dark shade of crimson in the process. Nobody could see what was going on aside from Rui, and Wes who assumed what was happening. "…"

"W-What's going on!?" Ash asked.

"No…" Rui covered her mouth with her hands. "Tyranitar's emotions have reached a fever pitch. H-Hyper Mode?! Not now…!"

"Y-You mean Reverse Mode…?" Lovrina wasn't familiar with Hyper Mode.

"No…Hyper Mode…" Rui shook her head. "When this happens…A Shadow Pokémon grows exceedingly violent and will attack everything in sight…including trainers. Wes! Call it right now to turn it back to normal! You can't keep it like this!"

"…Heh…." Wes chuckled quietly. "Well well…who would've thought this would have turned out like this. Tyrantiar…let us crush them."

.

"What have you done?!" Clemont asked while staring out at Mewtwo.

""I've upped the ante!" Ein responded with a near psychotic laugh. "Do you see now how useless your efforts are!? You cannot stop us. Chiper will drag this world into a pitch black abyss and there is nothing you can do about it! Thanks to this Electric Terrain, you've only supercharged my machine!"

"I've wasted too much time listening to you talk…" Clemont adjusted his glasses. Before he was worried about the difference between himself and Ein as scientists…but there was nothing for him to worry about anymore. The difference between them was painfully clear now. "I have to put an end to this right now."

"And just how do you plan to do that?" Ein questioned. "All of your tactics have failed thus far. You have no hope of destroying this machine! A scientist who fails doesn't deserve the title."

"Is that so…?" Despite Ein's comment, there was a sheen reflecting off Clemont's glasses. "That is where I have to disagree. Failure only paves the way forward to success. It's true my methods have failed against you thus far…but now I know precisely the difference between us, and how to defeat you."

"What…? You're bluffing, child." Ein scoffed. "You can't beat me. Not a superior."

"Again, that's where you're wrong. There's quite a difference between us…you strive for perfection and don't even look at the possibly of failure. But most of my inventions end up failing…but that's precisely why I'll never give up. I'll face failure head on and come out on top! And because you don't even look at failure I can see the one fatal flaw in your invention! It's time for science to lead the way to the future!"

"W-What on earth are you babbling about!?" Ein snarled. "Raikou, put this brat down once and for all! Discharge!" Raikou howled before unleashing the voltage within its body; numerous bolts of lightning shot forth, only enhanced by the Electric Terrain.

"Chespin, Pin Missile! Bunnelby, Mud Shot!" Both Chespin and Bunnelby rushed forward; Chespin unleashed an onslaught of numerous pins from its quills while Bunnelby hurled mud forward. These attacks exploded once connecting with the Discharge. "Citroid, now!"

"Heliolisk go!" Citroid commanded. The electric reptile scurried along the floor before whipping its tail at Ein's face, knocking off his shades! "Flash!" Heliolist then opened its frills and snarled while emitting a bright flash of light from its body that blinded both Ein and Raikou.

"W-What have you done!? I-I can't see!?" Ein covered his eyes while hopelessly stumbling around.

"You won't be able to avert your eyes from this failure of yours! Luxray use Swift on the ceiling!" Luxray did as commanded, swinging its tail forward to unleash an array of stars at the ceiling above. The ensuing explosions activated the sprinkler system and caused water to cascade down on the Electric Terrain to shorten it out. Furthermore, it began to short circuit the machine! The Shadow Machine began to sparkle dangerous before several smaller explosions occurred within it until it just burned out.

It was around then Ein picked up his shades and put them back on. It was a shame you couldn't see his eyes in the reaction to his precious machine being destroyed. "N-NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PRIDE AND JOY…!? I-I'll destroy you! Raikou!" Ein turned to Raikou…who began glaring at Ein with dangerous lightning sparking around its body. "W-What…?! No, don't tell me the device has been destroyed too!? This can't be happening…!?"

"You've failed." Clemont said while having his hand on a special lever. "This gym is designed for me to face off against trainers with promising merit, and you do not have those qualifications. Now then…I'm going to ask you very kindly…to get out of my gym, please." Clemont then pulled the lever down. Ein didn't know he was standing in the precise spot for a special contraption Clemont invented during his early days as a gym leader: the trap door. The door opened up and Ein fell right through it.

"C-CURSE YOU…!" Ein screamed as he fell into the pit.

"It's over…" Clemont let out a sigh of relief, but he couldn't relax yet. Clemont gave thanks to Citroid and all of the pokemon who assisted them. Raikou gave Clemont a nod before making its way out of the tower to join Suicune, Entei, and Zygarde in the effort to quell Mewtwo. "The rest is up to you…"

.

"Shadow Beam." Wes commanded while throwing his arm forward. Tyranitar bellowed before unleashing a beam of crimson darkness towards everyone! The size of it was so large they all had to dive out of the way from pure shock, watching as it travelled off into the distance.

"Geez…! That's way too strong…!" Lovrina gasped.

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Pikachu fired off an orb of lightning that directly struck Tyranitar. The Shadow Pokémon leaned backwards after the hit, only to retaliate with a roar. Wes wasn't even commanding it at this point; it was just fighting off of pure instinct. The shadow Pokémon slammed its fist into the ground, creating darkened stones that sporadically rose from the ground to strike.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja flung another shuriken forward, allowing this to slice through the rocks before they posed too much a threat.

"Fire Blast!" Salamance took to the air while lowering its head to unleash a powerful blast of flame. Tyrantiar stood within the blazing wake of the fire with glowing red eyes, completely unfazed. This had Grace sweating. "You gotta be kiddin' me…"

"Moon Blast!"

"Thunder!"

Ninetails and Plusle began rushing forward. Ninetails unleashed the power of the moon while Plusle fired off a potent blast of lighting. The two attacks converged midway and exploded against Tyranitar's armored chest plate. It was difficult to ascertain if damage was dealt or not…but judging by the roar of retaliation, it didn't look like they were any closer to putting this monster down.

"Come ON!" Lovrina groaned. "What kind of monster did I help make…!? I didn't even think it would go this far…!"

"It has to be getting tired…" Ash suggested. "But still…this thing is on a completely different level…"

"This is only the beginning of what a Shadow Pokémon can truly accomplish." Wes chuckled. "I see you're just about at your wits end. It's a shame…but this is where our battle ends. Do you know why XD-002 had her last episode? That was because I threatened your lives if she didn't win the tournament. Little did she know that regardless if she won, the same would've occurred as it is now."

"You…" Grace felt her body shake at those words. Kasumi never had a chance to begin with.

"Tyranitar…" Before Wes could issue his command, the unexpected happened. Tyranitar's tail slammed right into Wes and knocked him back!

Everyone gasped at this turn of events. "W-What the…!?" Grace looked to Rui and Lovrina for an explanation.

"It attacked its own trainer…" Rui replied in a low voice. She got a horrible flashback for when she witnessed the first time Wes was hit by a Shadow Pokémon. He said it was fine, but it was obvious he was hiding the pain. "Wes, call it off!"

"Heh…" Wes chuckled dryly after he was struck, slowly beginning to stand back up. "I can't say I didn't see that coming eventually. But I refuse to call it off…I'm not finished yet! When all those who stand against me are down, then I will…!" SLAM! Tyranitar blindly struck Wes again and he let out a groan of pain as he was tossed in yet another direction. "Gah…"

"S-Shouldn't we do something about this…?" Grace asked. She didn't like Wes as much as the next guy, but this was too much!

Rui's eyes were wide as Wes as continuously tossed around by Tyranitar. She wasn't sure what hurt more; the fact Wes refused to call it off, or the fact that he was just taking it. Tears began welling up in her eyes and she just started running forward without thinking. "You idiot! Let me help you!"

"I don't NEED YOUR HELP! Don't you dare come any closer!" Wes voiced his demands and Rui stopped automatically. That was the first time he raised his voice at her in such a fashion. Unfortunately Tyranitar took notice of Rui and turned while opening its maw, gathering the energy required for a Shadow Beam, releasing one right at her. "Damn it!"

"…." Rui was frozen in fear as the crimson black beam came towards her. Nobody was going to get there fast enough…but to her surprise, two Pokémon appeared before her in an instant and shielded her! Espeon with Light Screen ready and Umbreon for the back up! They called themselves out of their Pokeballs to protect her. The Shadow Beam exploded against the pair, but they still stood, despite being severely damaged. "U-Umbreon…E-Espeon…!"

"Return you idiots…" Wes returned the pair and shook his head. "I'm the one you want right? Then take out your emotions on me, I don't care." SMASH! Once again, Wes just got hit and tumbled before coming to a halt on his hands and knees, coughing up some blood. "I see…so you're tired of me too, huh? Makes sense…it seems everyone will turn their backs against me until the end. However…before that happens…they must be crushed…My last command to you: Shadow End." Tyranitar's roar echoed through Lumoise as its shadow power gathered in a dangerously abundant amount. Without a second thought it began rushing forward wildly.

"That's one of the strongest Shadow moves used…that's not good…" Lovrina pointed out.

"We have to stop this thing once and for all! Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Greninja nodded to Ash and took to the air while lifting a shuriken up into the air. Its size nearly tripled and Greninja used all of its might to toss it forward. The giant Water Shuriken collided with Tyranitar, but it refused to go down! It was a power struggle between Shadow End and Water Shuriken. Eventually both powers exploded against one another and created a cloud of smoke. All fell silent until the smoke began to clear…in which Tyrantiar was finally down. It reverted back to normal and let out a groan as it lie in defeat.

"Tch….useless…" Wes tossed Tyranitar's pokeball aside.

"It's over Wes…" Rui took a few steps towards Wes. "Once we purify Mewtwo…it'll be over…please…"

Wes took several steps back. He seemed to be in a strange daze while looking past Rui and into the dark horizon. "No…it's not over yet. I still require more power…I need more power and I know where to get it…" Wes brought his hand to the Snag Machine on his arm and pressed a button. With a conceded smile he began walking back until he fell off the tower.

"WES?!" Rui and the others ran to the edge and looked down…but when they did, Wes was just gone. "W-Why did you…." Rui already felt the tears streaming down her cheeks while the others just remained silent.

"…He's not dead." Lovrina clarified. "If I had to suggest…he made Mewtwo use its powers to teleport him somewhere. You can't disappear that quickly otherwise."

"Oh thank goodness…" Rui felt a huge weight lifted off her chest. "B-But where did he go…?"

"Does that matter right now?" Lovrina questioned while pointing below. Zygarde, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune were still battling Mewtwo. Blasts of fire, water, electricity, dragon, and darkness were just thrown around. "We have to do something about Mewtwo before it's too late!"

"How!?" Grace asked. "Wes broke the last Time Flute!"

"Wha…" Lovrina groaned. "Before I scream, let me tell you that that wasn't the last time Flute. It was one of the last. We had two in our possession…you really think such a risky operation would take place without a contingency plan? We'd be really screwed if Mewtwo decided to go rogue." Lorvina pulled out yet another Time Flute. She felt bad about doing this in front of Grace, knowing Kasumi's condition and everything.

"…It's okay." Grace nodded. "I know she would it to go to Mewtwo more than her…she basically said so herself the other night."

"…I knew you were listening." Lovrina nodded and began to play the Flute. The melodious sound echoed throughout Lumiose and caught everyone's attention. An emerald light sparkled off in the distance and steadily grew closer. This light was none other than the Time Travelling Pokémon itself: Celebi. Entei, Raikou, Suicune, and Zygarde all stopped as Celebi began to circle around Mewtwo, using its abilities to cleanse it of its darkness. That's how it should've gone, but Mewtwo was resisting! "Hey…what's going on?!"

"Mewtwo is fighting…" Ash deduced. "It must not be able to know what's going on anymore…we have to help it!" Ash was about to be the stupid one once again, but this time Rui took the cake.

"I need to borrow Salamance!" Rui didn't give Grace a choice and hopped on Salamance's back. It was easy to assume where she was headed and Salamance dove down towards Mewtwo. Once close Rui recklessly dove off and latched onto Mewtwo's back. Turns out it didn't take too kindly to that and tried to throw her off, but she remained strong! "Mewtwo! Please…I know it hurts, but you just have to hear me! I can see the light still in your heart fighting desperately against the darkness! We're here to help you…!" Mewtwo's body began to unleash lightning in attempt to get Rui off of it, but even so she wasn't letting go. She told Wes she was going to save Mewtwo and she wasn't going back on that word. "I'm not…letting go until you see your light again. Just listen to me! Let the light out!"

Mewtwo stopped moving slowly as Rui's voice reached its ears. Slowly, it stopped resisting as Celebi's magic finally did its work. After a few cycles the darkness was expelled from Mewtwo and it returned to its normal coloration and dropped to the ground along with Rui. "…." Once Celebit was done it began to fly off once again, nodding to say that its work was complete here.

"Is it over…?" Blaziken Mask questioned.

"I hope so…" Scott said while rubbing the back of his head. Things had to be over with Mewtwo finally being purified.

"I think it worked…" Lovrina said while watching Celebi fly off. She stared at the flute, now having an understanding of how Michael felt when it came to the purification of Shadow Pokémon. She was in the middle of rethinking her actions up until this point.

"…." Grace fell to her knees, just wanting to collapse out of exhaustion. "What a long day…I wonder how the others are doing…but I can't believe it's finally over…we won…"

"…Did we really win, though?" Lovrina didn't feel the same way. Something didn't…seem quite right. Largely because Wes was unaccounted for if this was truly to be considered a 'defeat' for Chiper. It was around then her communicator began to go off. "Huh? A transmission? Did they rescue Kasumi already?"

 _"_ _Yo!"_ It was Michael's voice. It made Lovrina just a little bit irritated. _"So, hey! Name's Michael, second here of Orre nice to talk to you all. I'm here with a bit of an update…"_

 _"_ _Give me that thing!"_ Elizabeth presumably snatched it back away from him. _"Yeah, so we did get to Kasumi! But uh….we've got a pretty big problem on our hands now. She was sucked into some strange orb of Shadow Power and is now going ballistic!"_

"…No…that can't be…" Lovrina shook her head. "That can't be right! That project wasn't even supposed to make it off paper! If that's really happening then…"

 _"_ _Also, question!"_ Elizabeth continued. There was so much noise where she was at she wasn't sure if they could hear her, but she certainly couldn't hear them. _"When did Wes get here?! Wasn't he busy with you guys in Lumoise! I-I suppose that doesn't matter! It's really bad and we need you guys to come ASAP! I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to hold her off! Where are we!? T-trust me, you'll know it when you see it!"_ With that, Elizabeth's transmission cut out. There was a heavy tension in the air after Elizabeth's words. Just what exactly was going on with her group to merit such a panicked response? Whatever it was…it was clear that this battle was far from over yet. There was still one more obstacle in their way that they had to overcome.

.

.

Next Time: The Ultimate Darkness.


	69. Chapter 69: Ultimate Darkness

Mewtwo slowly came too after its purification. It noticed Rui nearby and recognized her as the one who helped save it. "…Thank you." Mewtwo gave its words of acknowledgement before beginning to float off.

"You're welcome…" Rui panted softly while relaxing on the ground. There was a feeling of self-satisfaction as she was responsible for purifying a Shadow Pokémon. "….But where did Wes go…?" She placed her hand down and felt something out of place. With a curious glance she ended up picking up Wes' PDA. "H-his PDA…? When did he drop this…?"

Zygarde was exhausted. It put up a long and hard battle against Mewtwo and its cells began to disperse, returning it to the Squishy everyone knew it loved. Bonnie caught Squishy before it hit the ground and held it close. "You did amazing Squishy! You fought off the big bad guy!"

"I'm pretty sure Mewtwo didn't want to be a bad guy…" Kayla said with a heavy sigh. But she was sure glad the fighting was over.

"Guys! Where'd the three beasts go?" Clemont exited the gym. When he brought their attention to it everyone realized the three beasts began making their way off. "Oh…there they are."

"What a hassle…" Scott let out a heavy sigh. It was around then that Elizabeth's message came through the communicators, but it was difficult to make sense of it due to all the noise in the background. "What on earth…?"

Salamance came down with Ash, Grace, and Lovrina, all of them wearing the same confused expressions after the message. "I don't understand…they got Kasumi but something happened?"

"It's nothing good…" Lovrina grumbled. "From what it sounds like….but no, I can't be sure until I see it for myself."

"I take it you know something…" Lore crossed his arms. "But even so…how are we supposed to reach their location? We won't make it in time."

"Oh I've prepared something in advanced…" Lovrina snapped her fingers. On that cue a helicopter came down with Naps at the helm. Without his helmet he had the same pink hair green eye combination as his elder sister. "Naps! It doesn't look like we're done fighting yet. Are you ready?"

"Sure thing, sis." Naps responded with a calm nod.

"W-Wait…that's your brother…?" Heads tilted curiously. The resemblance was actually incredibly strong!

"No wonder I got that older sister vibe from you!" Bonnie grinned. "You totally are one! I knew it! I bet you have to look out for your brother like I do, huh?"

There was an embarrassed blush on Lovrina's cheeks as Bonnie poked right at her weak spot. With a scoff she turned her head away. "N-Not at all! I know he can take care of himself! Someone just has to boss him around…and stuff…"

"But she was just saying earlier how much she loved her brother…" Ash whispered to Grace, who nodded a few times in agreement.

"…Wait…wasn't Marcus down here?" Grace asked while scouring the area around for him.

"Yeah!" Bonnie nodded. "He held off Mewtwo long enough for Squishy to recover! Then he was here and…he left…?" Bonnie glanced around and saw nothing of the trainer mentioned. "Where did he go…?"

"I suppose he really doesn't want to see me…" Grace sighed while returning Salamance. "B-But I can't focus on that now. It seems they need our help over there. I need to see Kasumi again."

"I'll go with you. I have Citroid looking after the gym for me so no one will be getting inside so easily again." Clemont nodded. "What about the rest of you?"

"We still haven't gotten word about Takeba's safety…" Scott said.

"We'll stay here for now until everything's been rounded up." Kayla nodded, tugging Lore along despite how much he wanted to be a part of the fun.

"No! You can't take this from me!" Lore protested.

"We're not missing the finale." Kayla reassured him. "It just wouldn't feel right if we didn't have everyone together. And I'm sure Marcus'll show up too. It's his friends on the line."

"I-I'm coming too…" Rui was starting to feel the pain of her injuries from before. She stumbled only to be caught by Lovrina.

"…Don't push yourself. Are you sure…?" Lovrina questioned. Rui nodded in response.

"I have to see this through." Rui's resolve was firm.

Lovrina nodded before looking to Clemont, Bonnie, Blaziken Mask, Ash, and Grace. "Guess this'll be our group huh…? Are you guys ready? Once Naps takes off we're not coming back."

"We're ready!"

As everyone got into the helicopter, Zygarde couldn't help but take a glance at the sky. Mewtwo was not nearby…but it could still feel its presence. Just what exactly was Mewtwo planning after everything that happened to it…? There was no way to know. A bigger battle awaited them all…

.

.

The pillar of darkness erupted from the center of the Chiper HQ. The remaining Chiper Peons who weren't defeated or fighting took this time to begin running off because the entire building was starting to collapse! The cause of this was all Kasumi, who had been sucked into the sphere of Shadow Power. "What the heck…!?" Michael shouted while looking around. "What's going on!?"

"Hahaha….AHAHAHA!" Nascour just began laughing. Clearly he was the only one around who had any idea of what was happening.

"Nascour! What did you do?!" Cynthia demanded to know.

"Oh, I should really be thanking you…" Even in captivity, Nascour had the audacity to give that stupid smile. "Thanks to you, Champion Cynthia, I was able to activate the secret weapon we've had in store. It was originally supposed to be for Mewtwo, but the girl makes a fine substitute. That future of hers you fought for so valiantly…thanks to you it's no gone!"

Cynthia's eyes widened as that accumulation of darkness began to take shape slowly. "What…?"

"Don't listen to him!" Elizabeth tried to snap Cynthia back to reality. "He's just trying to rattle you because he's a sore loser. It doesn't matter why this happened but we need to stop it!"

"Before we do that I advise that we leave first." Eldes suggested. "It seems the trio in white already decided to take that course of action." He was referring to Team Rocket, who bolted as soon as things started getting crazy.

"What about Kasumi!?" Serena asked.

"No time!" Elizabeth grabbed onto Serena's wrist and began to pull her away as everyone made their hasty exit.

Half of the Chiper HQ collapsed as the growing mass of Shadow Power continued to take shape. That sphere expanded into a large humanoid bipedal figure that was just as large as the Lumoise tower, give or take several kilometers. Arms sprouted from the mindless creation and sticking out from the middle of its chest was the cause of it all: Kasumi. Her eyes were open…but they were dull. Without a word Kasumi just started moving the creation forward and it walked, covering large distances with a single step. "…."

"W-What the…." Sycamore wasn't exactly sure how he could respond to this. Was there even a response to this situation?!

"What did they do to that girl…" Cynthia clenched her hand into a tight fist.

"WHOA! WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?!" Gonzap's very loud voice made his presence known. "What is that thing!?"

"That's what we want to know!" Serena shouted back. "T-that doesn't look like something any human can take…"

Then out of thin air, Wes appeared on the top of a small platform right where the Shadow's head would've been. He fell onto a knee, panting heavily due to the pain of his injuries. "That was close…but it seems everything is going according to plan. The trump card is now in play…"

"Oh for the love of…how did HE get here?!" Elizabeth groaned.

"So that's him…" This was the first time Michael laid eyes on Wes.

"WES!" Cynthia shouted to get his attention. "What have you done!? What is that thing!?"

"Hmmm?" Wes glanced down, barely noticing the small group outside of what used to be Chiper HQ. "Oh, I figured you'd all be here as well. Listen, I don't have much time to chat. But to answer your question…this is XD-002 in its entirety. This is the power of a Shadow Trainer unleashed! I suppose by your foolish sentiments, you could call this Shadow Kasumi in its entirety."

"T-That thing is Kasumi..?" Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing…or seeing for that matter. If it wasn't happening right in front of her face she would refute its existence.

"I'm afraid I don't have much time to talk. I'm a very busy man after all. Come now, XD-002. We have some darkness to spread." To think Kasumi would respond to that. Without a word she just began walking forward. She was the 'heart' of the gigantic colossus and commanded it to move forward. Each step covered miles and left a large, black imprint on the very earth itself.

"Kasumi come back!" Serena tried to reach Kasumi with her voice but it was no use.

"We'll never catch them on foot…" Eldes remarked.

"I think we got that." Cynthia's tone was annoyed purely because of the current turn of events. She then heard the sound of another helicopter taking off from the base and that caused her to turn in the direction the sound came in. "What the…?"

Now, of all times, Miror B just had to make his appearance once again. Folly was driving the helicopter while Trudely had a sack of Pokeballs in his grip. "That looks like trouble, but we won't be any part of this! We got what we came for!"

"What the heck…?" Elizabeth tilted her head before realizing a grave mistake had been made on their end. "Are those…"

"All according to plan!" Trudely grinned. "Folly, get us out of here!"

"On it!" Folly nodded.

"All the Shadow Pokémon remaining at this facility are now mine to use! Thank you very much for your patronage to my dance party!" Miror B waved as the helicopter flew off into the distance. He really wasn't going to be a part of what was happening now and left for his own selfish accord.

"Agh, I should've known he had an ulterior motive to wanting to join us…we screwed up…" Elizabeth groaned.

"Tch…" Michael looked back between the fleeing Miror B and Shadow Kasumi. "We don't have time to deal with him. We have to do something about this first!"

Meanwhile…Team Rocket already secured a helicopter while frantically fleeing for their lives. Once in the air they finally had a moment to relax. "W-What is going on here…?! That's nothing normal!"

"I didn't even know a human would be capable of such a thing…" James said while staring at Wes and Kasumi. "But then again…it doesn't seem like he's treating her like a human."

"It's pretty bad…" Meowth admitted. Team Rocket may have been bad, but there were nothing near this type of evil that Wes was displaying.

.

.

Cynthia, Elizabeth, Serena, Sycamore, and Gonzap sat in the helicopter piloted by Eldes while Michael stuck to the Robo Rayquaza he arrived on prior. They were all chasing down Wes as he made Kasumi make way across the Badlands. The black sky seemed to grow even darker as the moments passed and they weren't looking any brighter. "Just where is he taking her!?" Cynthia grumbled. They were stuck looking at the walking shadow's back as they steadily grew closer.

"We have to do something about this…" Serena said with a frown. It was around then that Lovrina's transmission came through.

 _"_ _Hello! Yeah, hi! So, what the heck is exactly going on!? I can't provide any insight on what to do if I can't see it!"_ Lovrina demanded.

"You can't see it yet!?" Serena asked. "O-Okay…the best way I can describe this…it's a walking shadow with Kasumi right in the middle of it!"

There was a brief pause on the line. That small description seemed to be enough for Lovrina to deduce what it was. _"W-What…there's no way…that shouldn't even be operational! That idea shouldn't have even left my notes. When did…AGH! EIN! Sneaking behind my back again, I can't stand that guy! There's not much time to explain…but there should be some weak points to strike somewhere."_

"So we hit it." Gonzap grinned. His stature and expression didn't exactly make the most comforting sight.

"I don't think such a brute force tactic is optimal." Sycamore suggested. "We should try pulling her out of that thing first and foremost."

"We don't even know where to strike." Elizabeth shook her head. "But I'm getting real sick of him doing whatever he wants to that girl. Hey Wes! We're putting an end to this right now! Zoroark use Night Daze!" The helicopter door slid open and Zoroark readied a Night Daze to strike Wes.

"Oh, you're still here?" Wes turned his head while throwing a Pokeball out. "Here, play with this one. Dragonite, Dragon Pulse." From the pokeball was Kasumi's own Dragonite, but under Wes' command! Night Daze and Dragon Pulse collided in the sky and exploded, leaving both parties unharmed.

"He has her Dragonite too!?" Serena couldn't take this anymore either. "Stop taking everything away from Ksumi! She doesn't deserve this!"

Wes waved his hand dismissively. "Draco Meteor!" Dragonite lifted its head into the air, releasing a potent sphere of energy high into the sky; this sphere exploded, turning into a rain of rocks that began descending onto those who dared to oppose him.

"E-Eldes, how well can you maneuver this thing!?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I suggest you hold onto something. It appears he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal." Eldes said while maneuvering the helicopter in a way to avoid the falling meteors. Everyone had to hold on or risk behind thrown off.

Michael was pretty adept at evading the meteors due to the sleek build of the Robo Rayquaza. "I'll handle that Dragonite. Swellow, it's on you!" From the pokeball Michael threw, Swellow came forth for aerial combat. "Quick Attack!" Swellow spread its wings and flew forward, slamming right into Dragonite's chest with enough force to send it flying backwards. "Nice!"

"…?" Wes turned his head to the Swellow, then to the voice that commanded it. This was the first time he laid eyes on Michael; the two saviors of Orre were glaring at each other. Wes' lips then curved to a slight smirk. "Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite recovered from the impact of Quick Attack and reared its head back, unleashing a beam of draconic energy towards Swellow.

"Boomburst!" Swellow flapped its winds to create a powerful burst of sound that collided with the Dragon Pulse. The force of the explosion sent both aerial pokemon flying backwards.

"While he's distracted, go." Eldes pointed out while calling his Salamance out into the air.

"Right!" Serena and Elizabeth nodded. Braxien and Zoroark hopped onto Salamance's back as it flew off.

"This will be a great time for our Garchomp to get to know each other." Sycamore joked to Cynthia as both of their Garchomps were called forth.

"Now's not the time…" Cynthia shook her head.

"A mere jest." Sycamore then activated his Keystone to resonate with his Garchomp's Megastone. It wasn't long before Mega Garchomp arrived on the field. "Hyper Beam!"

"That's something I can get behind! HYPER BEAM!" Gonzap exclaimed with a little too much enthusiasm. Both Skarmory and Garchomp unleashed large beams of raw energy that struck the left side of the shadow giant.

"Hold on…" Cynthia didn't quite agree with something here. "This may not be the time…but I don't think Skarmory learns Hyper Beam…..but then how does yours…"

"Don't question it little lady." Gonzap spoke. He wasn't really one to keep up with news outside of Orre most of the time, so of course he was unaware of who Cynthia was. "But more importantly, did it work!?" To answer that question Gonzap: no, it had no effect. Instead of damage being dealt, there was an eerie purple aura radiating from the entire colossus.

"It's about to do something…!" Cynthia warned and she was right. Kasumi let out a yell and several tendrils of pitch black darkness emitted from the entire left side of the shadowy mass. Evasive maneuvers were taken by all parties to ensure they didn't get hit, but it was definitely too close a call due to how sudden it was. "I…I don't think she took that rather well. It sounded like it hurt…"

"Watch it!" James exclaimed from the helm of the helicopter even though only Jessie and Meowth could hear him. "We almost got caught in the crossfire!"

"Hmmm?" Wes turned to their attempt to free Kasumi and merely laughed. "Oh right…let me explain. This works a little differently than her previous outbreaks. According to the research material this is the mass of all the shadow power in that girl's body. Every time she attacks she expels more than her body can handle…and with her current mindset, everything around is considered a threat. Her very existence as is will contaminate the entire world at this rate."

"Every time she retaliates she gets hurt…!?" Serena didn't like the sound of that.

"Now then…Dragon Rush." Wes commanded.

"Brave Bird!" Michael retaliated. Dragonite and Swellow cloaked their bodies in fierce auras before lunging forward. The two crashed into each other, creating a shockwave upon the moment of impact. Eventually this turned into an overwhelming explosion which sent both Pokémon rocketing backwards. "Now!" Michael saw his opening and took it; left arm extended as a Pokeball began to manifest within the Snag Machine. Michael hurled the pokeball right at the stunned Dragonite. The capsule opened and pulled Dragonite in before closing and falling to the ground. "Swellow, grab it!" Swellow did as it was told and dove down, preparing its talons to nab the free falling ball.

"A snag machine?" Wes chuckled. "Now this is getting fun. XD-002…they're trying to take your precious partner away from you again. You're not going to have that, are you? Strike them all down." Kasumi's mouth opened only to scream as beams of darkness shot out in every which direction.

"Watch out!"

Swellow had to back off since a beam nearly shot it down right there. Dragonite escaped the Snag Ball and returned to the sky with a snarl. Eldes was good enough to move out of the way while the pokemon also managed to avoid the lasers on their own. Things were looking good since they could hardly get in close.

"What do we do?" Elizabeth was growing increasingly frustrated by the second.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes at Kasumi. Something had been bothering her for a while now, and once she actually saw it for herself the whole premise of the situation changed. Kasumi was slowly being pulled into the abyss that was the Shadow Power she created. "…No…she's being dragged in there! If we don't pull her out soon…"

"We're on a timer!?" Once again, Elizabeth groaned. This situation couldn't be any worse. "Night Daze!"

"Fire Blast!"

"Flamethrower!"

Zoroark, Braxien, and Garchomp unleashed these respective attacks upon the giant. Even Edles' Salamance pitched in with a Dragon Pulse. These attacks clashed against the giant's body once again, but yielded no results. Wes took notice of this and sighed. "I think I'm done toying with you all for the time being. XD-002; be rid of them." Kasumi followed those orders without hesitation, locking in on the helicopter before fire off a large beam that the aerial pokemon had to avoid!

"Oh crap…" Gonzap was bracing for impact along with everyone else, however a bolt of lightning and stream of flame intercepted the blast and exploded just before it could hit. "Eh?"

"Lightning…?" Serena only needed a moment before her eyes widened in joy. "That means!"

From behind a cliff, Mega Salamance flew forward with Pikachu and Luxray on its back, while an Altaria flew beside it with Plusle riding on its back. The next helicopter came into view with Ash, waving to the others. "Sorry we're late!"

"The cavalry's here?" Micahel lifted a brow at their timing. "I'm not complaining!"

"Oh?" Wes turned his head as those who he just dealt with appeared onto the scene. "I was wondering when they were coming."

Grace's eyes were wide with horror as the situation quickly set in for her. "T-That entire thing is Kasumi…!?"

"That…and she's sinking into that pool of darkness…" Cynthia nudged her head to the chest area where Kasumi was. "We can't even get close without her trying to attack…and that just makes things even worse for her!"

"It's worse than imagined…" Lovrina frowned. "This was supposed to be for Mewtwo…but I had no idea she'd be used as a substitute in its stead. That's horrible…there's no way her body is going to last in such conditions."

"Can we tear her away from it!?" Bonnie asked. "That should make it stop working, right!?"

"In theory, yes…" Lovrina nodded. "But…we'd have to strike specific points on that body. I don't even know where to begin…and we don't have the time to strike every nook and cranny on that large body!

Ash and Greninja stood next to one another while peering at Kasumi and the mass she was slowly being absorbed into. After a few seconds they could both see it clearly; a transparent view of what they were dealing with. Kasumi was right in the middle and there were several 'chains' wrapped around her arms and legs. These chains resembled 'veins' that reached out to the limbs of the giant walking shadow. Ash could see exactly where to strike because of this. "I found it!"

"HUH!?" Lovrina stared at Ash with widened eyes. "How!?"

"No time to explain!" Ash said while nodding at Greninja. "Greninja, mark all the spots with Water Shuriken!" Greninja leapt from the helicopter and reached for the shuriken on its back. Greninja flung the star forward and allowed it to break into four separate stars; each one marking the precise spot to strike to sever Kasumi's connection with the shadow power. For good measure, there were even two thrown next to Kasumi's own head.

"Hey, watch where you throw those things!" Grace warned.

"Amazing…." Lovrina couldn't believe that Ash had the ability to pinpoint the weakness within this behemoth. "What are you standing around here for! Let's go!"

"Right!" This was it! Time for the final counter attack!

"I suppose this is where the fun really begins…" Wes chuckled. "Take them all down." Kasumi responded by releasing the Shadow Tendrils once more, this time in a bigger volume to take everyone down.

"Cut!" Greninja drew two blades from it thighs, beginning to slice through the tendrils with ease as they started to rise, effortlessly moving from one tendrils to the next to prevent itself from being caught off guard. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Luxray, Swift!"

"Salamance, Fire Blast!"

Pikachu and Luxray both jumped off Salamance. Pikachu unleashed high voltage lightning that struck down the nearest tendrils. Luxray followed up with an array of stars that destroyed the tendrils furthest away, while Salamance's fiery blaze rendered anything else in the way to cinders.

"Can't let them take all the credit." Lovrina nudged Rui. "Altaria, use Dragon Breath!"

"Plusle, use Thunder!"

Altaria opened its mouth to unleash a green breath that mowed down any tendrils in the way while Plusle's surprisingly powerful Thunder kept any tendrils as bay from striking them out of the sky. The girls made a pretty good tag team, and soon enough the path was clear to strike!

"We're getting you out of there Kasumi!" Grace exclaimed. "I'm almost there…!"

"The kid's ain't half bad!" Gonzap laughed. "Skarmory, you know what to do!"

"You hear that Wes?! It's almost over for you!" Michael grinned.

"Is that so…?" Wes seemed indifferent even as the momentum seemingly shifted against him. Kasumi's response was automatic and caught everyone off guard. The shadow tendrils sprouted from the shadow giant's body once again with such speed nobody could see it coming! The tendrils then slowly began wrapping around the pokemon, completely constricting their movements. Black sparks emitted from the tendrils and began to shock the pokemon as well. Even the Robo Rayquaza was constricted and the crushing force was steadily beginning to break the machine! Michael's options were just as limited as everyone else's.

"Ah…!" Ash's eyes widened and he fell to his knees in pain. "W-What is this…!? Agh….!"

"It seems she wants her friends to join her…" Wes explained. "I'm sure I said this before…but remember how what Mewtwo created back in Lumoise was capable of turning Pokémon into Shadow Pokémon if they touched it? This is no different from that…but it's with her own power. Perhaps she's so lonely she just wants her friends to be with her again! Isn't it such a touching reunion?"

"K-Kasumi! Stop this!" Grace pleaded.

"She can't hear you." Wes clarified. "I don't think she can even hear my own voice. She's just acting on pure instinct as someone who cannot escape their own darkness. It's a shame the corruption process is a little slow, but they won't be able to fight for long."

"Wes…how could you do this to someone…" Rui grumbled. "We have to get them out of there!"

"Going down there yourself is ill-advisable." Edles' way of saying don't even think about it.

"This isn't good…it won't be much longer before they become Shadow Pokémon, and it was trouble enough just getting Mewtwo…" Clemont had no ideas on what to do for once.

Jessie pointed down at the trouble everyone was having, looking back to James and Meowth. "Hey! They're seriously in trouble down there! Should we do something!?"

"What can we do!?" Meowth questioned.

They all seemed powerless at this point, unable to even help their own Pokémon as Kasumi's form just started to slip further and further into darkness. Everyone was at a loss on what to do but watch…but that changed when a rainbow beam of energy struck the giant right in the lower chest, rather careful in avoiding Kasumi. The impact was so strong it forced the tendrils to release the Pokémon and they briefly retreated to the air. Everyone glanced back in the direction and well…they were quite surprised by who they saw.

"HA!" Takeba placed her hands on her hips with a rather confident smirk, patting Mega Blastoise on the back. "Bullseye! I told you I wasn't going to miss the final showdown!"

"I was the only one who heard you, dear…" Diantha shook her head with a slight smile. Her Gardevoir was by her side and in its Mega Form. "But I'm glad we weren't too late."

"Agreed…It would've been quite terrible otherwise." Scott nodded in agreement with Manectric.

"Finally…the time to strike darkness down is neigh!" Lore exclaimed with Sceptile right by his side.

"Weirdo…" Either way, Kayla and Togekiss were ready!

"Sorry to keep you waiting! But we're here now!" Korrina, the gym leader of Shalour City waved to Ash and the others with her Mega Lucario.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Valerie, the gym leader of Laverre City said while placing her sleeve over her mouth. But she had her Spritzee ready to battle.

"You better not slack off, Grant!" Violia chided Grant and he had yet to even say or do anything! The bug gym leader and her Vivillion were ready for combat!

"I would never." Grant responded with his Tyrunt at the ready. "This looks like it'll be a fun wall to climb."

"This youngin looks like he needs a proper lesson. Gogoat and I may be old…but we're not going to let him act like this without proper punishment." Ramos was back and just as willing to fight as everyone else.

"I knew this day would come…it was an uneasy omen that was weighing over me. But we have the power to stop it." Olympia said as her two Mewostic floated beside her.

And last but not least, there was Wulfric, standing ready with his Mega Abomasnow. "Yeah, sounds about right. Nobody's gonna touch this region on my watch, ya know."

"It seems everyone's here." Looker looked over the backup forces along with his Crogunk and nodded.

"The other gym leaders!" Clemont's eyes gleamed with hope now.

"And they even picked up the others…" Elizabeth chuckled to herself. "And Diantha's here! Now we have no way of losing."

"Out of my sight." Wes threw his hand forward. The Shadow Power that bound Kasumi released a gigantic beam that raced towards the cavalry's location, but it was intercepted by powerful beams of water, fire, and lightning well before it could reach them. "What now!?"

The interception came from a nearby cliff. At the top of the cliff was Marcus, but he was riding atop Suicune while Entei and Raikou were beside them and he wore a pretty wide grin at that. "Not on our watch!"

"M-Marcus…!" Grace felt like he hadn't seen him in ages.

"So that's where he went…" Lovrina understood it now.

"You've got a lot of friends…" Naps remarked to his older sister.

"T-THEY AREN'T ALL MY FRIENDS! Er…well…all of them…no wait!" Seems that comment managed to fluster the Ex-Admin. "J-Just hurry up and land this thing so we can regroup with all of them!"

.

.

Everyone decided to rendezvous a distance away from Wes and Kasumi. They were closing in and they didn't have much time to come up with a plan. Michael barely managed to land the totaled Robo Rayqauza. "…Yeah, they're gonna kill me for ruining this thing." He sighed.

"Worry about it later!" Takeba smiled. "We have more important issues to deal with…!"

"…Right, before I forget." Marcus walked up to Takeba, giving a nod of approval. "There's the leader of our counterattack! Nice job, Takeba. I admit I was a little worried, but you really gave us the momentum back there." Marcus then gave Takeba a headpat and…her face turned bright red and she practically fell over. "…Huh? I just did as I was told…"

"More importantly…" Diantha stared at the closing giant of Shadow Power. "Is that entire thing truly Kasumi? Knowing Wes' personality, I doubt he'd come down for some tea if I asked politely."

"I don't think now is the time to be civil." Cynthia suggested. "But from what I know…yes, that's her."

"She's connected to it." Lovrina explained to the Gym Leaders. "It's like a nervous system. If she attacks it hurts her and her body is already in an unstable condition. That's why we need to strike where Ash marked with Water Shuriken. If we can sever those links we should be able to pull her out of there forcefully before it's too late!"

"That sounds tough…" Korrina admitted. "But nothing Lucario and I can't handle!"

"We can do this!" Ash nodded.

"….This is all my fault…if only I was more honest…" Grace couldn't help but look at what she helped create; more so, Kasumi. "We have to rescue her."

"Stop blaming yourself for every little thing." Marcus shook his head while approaching her. "You always have to do everything yourself, including take responsibility. You and I are both to blame for what happened. But mulling over it now isn't going to change anything."

"…I bet you're still pretty mad, huh…" Grace rubbed the back of her neck. "I know going behind both of your backs was unforgiveable…I just wanted to help her and not worry you two, but look where it's gotten me now. I know it's a lot to ask…but can you forgive me?" Grace extended her hand forward, although she didn't expect Marcus to take it after everything that happened today.

Marcus went silent while staring at Grace's hand. Without a second thought he grabbed and shook it. "Of course I forgive you. I'm only mad you didn't tell me sooner. We could've done something together. But from now on no more secret's okay?"

Grace smiled as they shook hands. With a wink, she responded to her dear friend's request. "Okay! No more secrets! I'll spill everything after this!"

"Great." Marcus nodded…and that's when Takeba practically jumped on his back. "Ack…!? Why are you on my back now!?"

"Well, you said so yourself: I am the leader of the counter attack!" Takeba responded with a pretty high and mighty tone. "And I'm technically injured. So I need someone to carry me into the final battle! So I choose you."

"You shouldn't have inflated her ego." Elizabeth shook her head.

"Yeah, I got that." Marcus sighed.

"Ah…the enjoyment of youth…" Ramos chuckled at their interactions.

"We almost got everyone back together." Serena nodded.

"Not everyone just yet…" Ash grabbed the tip of his hat while staring right at Kasumi. "We still have one more person left to get. And we're going to make sure that she joins us again! All right guys, are you ready!?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's go!"

And from above, Mewtwo watched with its arms crossed. Just what was it thinking at this point into the game…?

"So this is it, is it?" Wes crossed his arms while staring at the last line of defense for the Kalos region and perhaps even the world. "Very well…this is a grander scale battle than I could've imagined! Let's see just how strong the side of Light is all together!"

Kasumi herself dully stared off into the distance. In reality she could hardly see anything but pitch black darkness…aside from the small light in front of her. It was very cold and very dark…and she was all alone as she felt her body slip further into her own darkness. _"Grace…? Marcus…? Everyone...? Is that you…? I can't see…it's so cold…it's so dark…everything hurts…I want to see you both again at least once…but at the same time…I'm just a burden…please don't trouble yourselves saving me…save the world…I'll be okay…just let me go…"_

.

.

Next Time: Final Battle of Light and Shadow.


	70. Chapter 70: The End of Light and Shadow

"This will be the final battle, huh?" Michael nodded and hopped on Swellow's back. "All right. I'll make sure to deal with that Dragonite so you can handle Kasumi. That shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Lovrina just had an angered tick mark on her forehead as Michael spoke. "…Your voice really annoys me for some reason. I don't know why either. Just don't mess this up!"

"Our targets are the four shuriken, right?" Marcus asked while hoisting Takeba up onto Suicune, since she refused to be away from him at the moment. Once he himself was atop the beast, he couldn't help but stare at Kasumi. "I'm sorry, but could Grace and I go after Kasumi? You too, Ash, I want you to help us get her out of there."

"I'll do whatever I can!" Ash said with a fist pump. Since he was offered to join, Entei allowed Ash to hop on its back along with Greninja and Pikachu on his shoulder.

And that left Grace with Raikou. She cautiously hopped on its back, but it was more willing to help than she thought. "Ah, thanks…"

"We need to split our forces so we can strike effectively." Diantha said while staring at the shadow giant's form. "We will provide cover and when the bonds have been severed, it's up to you three to pull her out from there."

"Serena, can you keep Rui and Bonnie safe?" Clemont asked.

"Yes, you can count on me." Serena replied with a nod.

"But I…" Rui began to object, but she realized she'd only get in the way. As much as she wanted to confront Wes, she was hurt and her lack of battle experience would only bring everyone else down. "Mmm…"

"Wes has always been a punk…" Gonzap scoffed while rotating his large, muscular arms. "Now let's take that punk down!"

"Yeah…no." Cynthia shook her head. "You're not exactly qualified to be the one sending us off into battle. No offense…"

"Let's get going already!" Lovrina huffed. "Just remember, it's connected to her like a nervous system. If we take out those links that are keeping her bound to it…it's likely it will hurt her too. I hate to ask her to endure it after all she's been through…"

"She can do it…" Grace nodded firmly. "She just has to hold on a little longer…!"

"I'm off!" Michael waved and Swellow flapped its wings before soaring towards Dragonite once again.

"We'll wait for that opening!" Marcus nodded to Suicune and the three beasts were off! Takeba was holding onto him a little tighter than one normally would…

"I can't believe he's got a girl and he doesn't even know it…" Elizabeth mumbled spitefully before shaking her head. "Whatever…let's get this started. Zoroark, with me!"

Wes quirked a brow at the massive force that was brought to combat him. "So…this is the final stage for the final showdown? The game has finally reached its climatic battle…let us see how this ends. Come at me, Heroes of Light. I'll snuff you all out one by one!"

"I've had enough of your existence!" Elizabeth practically screamed. "I've been waiting to punch you all day, so c'mere!"

"Stick to the plan! We're going for the left leg!" Korrina warned Elizabeth. "Lucario, Power Up Punch!" Korrina's Lucario gathered a crimson energy around its fist.

"Shadow Claw!" Zoroark sprinted forward as darkness took the shape of a sharp claw around its arm. "Let's go!" However, before they could even get too close, Psybeam and Dark Pulse from above halted them in their tracks. "Oh what the!?"

Wes peered down from above while shaking his head disapprovingly. "Sorry to disappoint, but I can't let you do that so easily can I?" While it was true he was dealing with Michael with Dragonite, he also had the ability to spare some time on making everyone else's job even harder with Umbreon and Espeon. Those two were clearly exhausted from the previous battle, but they were going to fight until the dropped, and they hadn't done so yet.

"Arecus-sake!" Elizabeth groaned. "I never thought I'd had someone who had the ability to multitask, but you're just a repeat offender aren't you!?"

"We have to ignore him!" Korrina suggested. As she said that Kasumi decided to attack herself, releasing tendrils of darkness from the left leg that aimed at the two females and their pokemon.

"Poison Sting!" That command came from Looker. His Croagunk released multiple needless of toxins from its mouth, slicing through a few of the incoming tendrils that tried to attack. "Keep going!"

"No need to tell us twice!" Korrina nodded while pointing forward. "Lucario, break them all down with Aura Sphere!" Lucario complied to the command and hopped into the air while pushing its palm forward, releasing a sphere of energy that broke through most of the remaining tendrils and actually struck the shuriken embedded within the leg. Ash's earlier throw was indeed accurate. The shuriken dug deeper into the leg and seemed to have some sort of effect as Kasumi herself cried out in pain…but it wasn't enough to sever the link. "Ah…! We're so sorry! Please hang on!" Korrina pleaded. "Go finish it!"

"I'm sorry about this, Kasumi…" Elizabeth sucked her teeth, knowing full well that what was about to happen next was going to be far from pleasant for the poor girl. "Night Daze!" Zoroark threw its arms forward, releasing a stream of darkness that struck the Water Shuriken. The shuriken was pushed deep into the leg to the point where it severed the shadow bond around Kasumi's left leg. The reaction was yet another scream of pain for the poor girl.

More importantly, it was as though that leg stopped working completely. As soon as the bond was severed the leg stopped moving and caused the giant to lurch forward slightly. Wes was almost thrown off balance but he managed to recover. Now the giant was just steadily moving forward on its right leg, dragging the left one across the land instead. "Tch."

"You sure you have the time to be worrying about this when I'm right here, tough guy?" Michael commented to get Wes' attention.

"An annoying gnat…" Wes sighed. "Dragonite, take care of that one."

"We did it!" Elizabeth grinned and high fived Korrina…but it was a little too soon to celebrate. Tendrils shot out once again faster than the eye could see, wrapping around Elizabeth, Korrina, Looker, and their pokemon to prevent and further interruption. "Spoke too soon."

"This is quite the predicament…" Looker admitted while trying to squirm free, but it was to no avail.

"We'll be okay! Just focus on getting her out of there!" Korrina told the others.

.

Ash watched as the left leg was taken down. He and Greninja could visibly see the bond being severed around Kasumi. "That's one down!"

"Just three more to go…we'll be there soon!" Grace shouted.

It was now time for the right leg to be taken down so no more movement could be done. That was up to Clemont, Ramos, Wulfric, Scott, and Lore. Since Kasumi was acting off pure instinct, she just attacked whatever was in front of her no matter how bad it hurt her. Beams of darkness shot out from the leg in attempt to stop their progress right then and there. "Luxray, Swift!" Clemont commanded. Luxray pushed forward and swung its tail forward, releasing an array of golden stars to clash with the beams, creating multiple explosions.

"Razor Leaf!" Ramos commanded his trusted Gogoat. Gogoat released a flurry of razor sharp leafs that struck down any remaining beams that were attempting to get the sneak on them. The old man was pretty sharp for thinking of such a thing.

When the beams didn't work, the tendrils were used instead, shooting towards the group with full intent to crush them. Wulfric, however, had no intentions of becoming a pancake. "Abomasnow, use Blizzard!" Mega Abomasnow placed its hands on the ground and opened its mouth, releasing a freezing gale of ice and snow that rapidly froze the tendrils over.

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"

"Manectric, Thunder!"

Both of Lore and Scott's commands came back to back. Emerald scythes jettisoned from Sceptile's forearms and with swift slashes, the frozen tendrils were reduced to nothing but harmless shards of ice. As for the Thunder, that was aimed at the Shuriken. It hit its mark and the electric shock likely did a number on Kasumi as well based on her strangled groan. Hurting her to save her left a bad taste in everyone's mouths, but if she was to be saved then this was the best course of action.

"Wood Hammer!" Wulfric took charge once again. Abomasnow reared its gigantic arm back as viridian hammer formed along its arm. With all of its might, Abomasnow smashed the shuriken into the leg, easily shattering the bond around it. With both the right and left legs down, the shadow giant came to an abrupt halt.

"Did we do it!?" Clemont asked the others. A little too use to ask since more tendrils shot out, not with the immediate intent to harm, but the small group was crushed and a little smothered between them, taken out of the fray with being unable to participate anymore.

"…I'm going to go with a strong maybe…" Lore grumbled while trying to worm his way out of the tendrils, but to no avail.

"Well this is fine and dandy…" Wulfric complained.

"These old bones won't be able to handle much of this…" Ramos said.

"We'll just have to leave it up the others…" Scott groaned. He was just as stuck as everyone else.

.

Two links down, two to go. The left arm was being taken care of by Kayla, Valerie, Olympia, and Viola. This was a little more dangerous since the arm was actually moving to try and swat their Pokemon out of the sky. Valerie was rather uncomfortable with this scenario and expressed this openly. "I'll have you know, I'm not a fan of this situation. I have a very bad feeling about what's to come."

"Less talking, more fighting!" Kayla suggested. "Togekiss, Air Slash!" Togekiss flapped its wings, firing off blades of air towards the shuriken in attempt to strike it, but the arm shifted and the blades of air were only submerged into the void of darkness. "Huh?!"

"I believe she's actively trying to stop this." Olympia suggested.

"But why?" Viola questioned. "I know I hardly know anything about this situation…but isn't she it pain?"

"Perhaps that is why…" Olympia continued. Her tone of voice wasn't really helping, but she was saying the things nobody wanted to hear. "All I see when I look at her is a girl whose bright future was stained black by the heart of another. We're only doing what we are able to save her. Meowstic, Future Sight." That was a command for both Meowstic. The male and female pair joined hands as their ears rose up, a neon blue light shrouding their bodies as they prepared an attack that would strike in coming moments. When exactly?

Kasumi was not going to wait, however. From the right arm, a beam of darkness shot out in attempt to shoot them all down in one fell swoop. "Spritzee, Light Screen!" Even though Valerie was reluctant to battle she was going to lend her full support. Spritzee rushed forward while creating a barrier around its body and all of its allies, mainly taking the brunt of the beam.

"Nice job, Val!" Viola remarked. Vivillon, Solar Beam!" The bug type flew forward while gathering solar energy, shooting it all forward in the form of a widespread emerald beam that pierced through the darkness of the arm and struck the Water Shuriken. This was enough to shatter the body and the left arm had a violent spasm. Its unpredictable movement was actually what brought down the aerial Pokémon, along with sprouting several more tendrils to keep the females from moving. "Agh…this is way too tight…I can hardly breathe…!"

"What is she doing…?" Kayla grumbled while trying to pry her way free, but it was of no use.

"You can't even hear your own friend's cries?" Wes laughed. "She's telling you all to stop…but you just keep going. You know you're causing her so much pain, right?"

"It's less pain than you're causing her!" Elizabeth angrily shot back from below.

"Are you sure about that…?" Wes chuckled.

.

"She's growing extremely restless…" Blaziken Mask noted. Kasumi herself was starting to squirm as she sank further into the darkness, but there was still only one bond left for them to shatter before they could try and pull her out! Furthermore…beams of darkness just shot in the remaining arm's direction to try and keep everyone at bay.

"She's losing control." Lovrina bit her lip. "We have to do something about that quickly!"

"We'll draw her attention." Diantha and Cynthia seemed to have some sort of an idea.

"The rest of you finish off that last one." Cynthia said while pointing to it. "Then we'll leave the rest to the others."

"Got it!" Gonzap grinned. "HYPER BEAM!" Skarmory fired off a Hyper Beam, but it was blocked by the right arm and just pulled into the darkness.

"Does that thing know any other moves aside from Hyper Beam?" Grant began to ask…but guess what the answer was.

"HYPER BEAM!" Once again! This time, Gonzap wasn't aiming for Kasumi, but Wes!

Wes saw the large beam coming and ducked as it flew over him. "I was wondering where that obnoxious overuse of that move was coming from…but as it turns out…it's just my old boss! I didn't see you there, Gonzap! I guess Team Snagam has really faded into obscurity these days, huh? Can't blame you for being so forgettable."

"Okay you little punk…!" Gonzap growled; Wes always knew how to get under his skin.

"Tyrunt, Draco Meteor!" Grant was going to kick this off. Tyrunt fired off a small rock from its mouth that exploded, turning into a downpour of meteors that began raining down on the right arm. Most of the meteors were pulled into the darkness due to hitting nothing, while others were shot down by black beams, resulting in various explosions. The tendrils were then shot out wildly in just any attempt to keep everyone away.

"Blaziken, Flamethrower!" Blaziken opened its mouth, releasing a powerful stream of flame to incinerate most of what came their way from afar.

"Garchomp, cut them down!" Sycamore commanded. Garchomp roared and used its scythe-like arms to begin slashing through incoming tendrils to render them useless.

"Salamance, Dragon Pulse." Eldes was still calm despite this situation.

"Yeesh…never thought I'd be working with you again so soon…" Lovrina admitted to Eldes. "Altaria, Dragon Breath!" Both dragons flew forward, nimbly evading the beams and tendrils aimed in their direction while shooting down whatever threatened their safety. The two dragons eventually made it to the shuriken and aimed their attacks there for a direct hit! With that, the last bond was severed and Kasumi cried out once again. "We did i…!" Something was very wrong. Kasumi's very violent reaction was unexpected as she also brought them down with more tendrils, just trying to keep them away as some surmised earlier. "Ack…! What's wrong with her!?"

Cynthia and Diantha were back to back as Garchomp and Gardevoir did work. All they could really do was cover for Ash and the others on the three beasts as beams and tendrils were undoubtedly heading their way. They also had to watch for their own backs since they were also in danger! "I don't suppose we could chalk this up as a stage of teenage angst, could we?" Diantha suggested.

"Whatever it is, we need to have a talk with her about it…" Cynthia responded.

.

"STOP. BEING. SO. STUBBORN!" Michael shouted at Dragonite as it continued to break out of all the pokeballs he threw at it. "We're trying to help you and your trainer! Stop being so annoying! Swellow, Quick Attack!" Swellow nodded to the trainer on its back and flew forward with amazing speed. Dragonite was countering on its own with a Fire Punch. Just before the two met, Swellow tilted its body to the side to slip past Dragonite and get behind it. "There we go! Boomburst!" The avian flapped its wings once more to create an explosive wave of sound that struck Dragonite's back, causing it to fall from the sky. "Go, Snagball!" Michael tried this once again. The pokeball opened and a 'hand' appeared to snatch Dragonite and pull it into the pokeball. Swellow dove down and Michael caught the ball as it began to shake in his hands. A tense few seconds came until the red light finally dimmed. "FINALLY…" And when Michael looked down to see how the others were doing he couldn't help but notice the crap show below.

.

With all four bonds broken, the shadow giant being unable to move, and Kasumi right where they wanted her, it was time to strike! "Let's go!" Marcus shouted. Suicune, Entei, and Raikou began rushing forward, doing their best to evade all of the beams and tendrils aimed at them. "Hold on…!"

"Oh trust me, I'm not letting go…" Takeba mumbled.

"We're getting closer…" Ash said as he kept his gaze on Kasumi. The one drawback to breaking the links was that she began to sink faster, so they were running out of time quickly.

"Almost there…!" Grace was the personification of anxious right now as they drew closer. Unfortunately a wall of darkness intended to impede their progress. Before anyone could say or do anything, Psybeam and Shadow Ball broke down the wall from above.

"Huh?" Ash glanced up, noticing Team Rocket actually lending a helping hand.

"What are you staring up here for!?" James questioned.

"Yeah, go save that girl!" Jessie barked.

"On the double!" Meowth added.

"Team Rocket…?" Grace shook her head. "T-Thanks!"

Wes had his arms crossed as the trio rapidly neared. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that so easily…" He was about to command Umbreon and Espeon to attack once more, but Pin Missile from above made him stop. Michael landed on the same platform Wes was using to stand with his Jolteon and Swellow by his side. "You again?"

"Sorry…but I'm still your main opponent." Michael said with a cocky grin.

"Now!" Grace shouted once they were close enough. Entei tossed Ash and Greninja onto Salamance, while Suicune flew Marcus forward and Raikou with Grace. The two landed on the Shurikens near Kasumi's hand and grabbed onto her arms, beginning to pull with all their might. "We're here Kasumi! Just hold on a little longer!"

"We're not giving up on you!" Marcus choked out while trying to pull, but Kasumi was stuck in their good.

Greninja flung its large tongue forward to wrap around Kasumi's waist, which was being used a rope. Ash and Pikachu held onto Greninja and pulled back as Salamance also began to fly back to assist with the effort of pulling Kasumi out of there. "Just a little longer…"

"You're all so hopeless…" Wes shook his head and sighed. "You haven't noticed it yet…? Why don't you take a moment and be quiet so you can listen to her voice."

"What…?" Rui tilted her head. "What does he mean by that…?"

 _"_ _Why!? Why won't they all just stay away!? I'm no good! They're only getting hurt trying to save me! Stop worrying about me and finish this already! I'm better off gone…I'm nothing but a burden to them anyway. They're always troubling themselves over me and I haven't done anything to help them…please…just leave me be…why can't you understand that!?"_ That was Kasumi's own voice echoing from the darkness into the field. She really was trying to keep everyone away from her.

"…There you have it. She's just like me…we were unable to escape our own darkness…" Wes shrugged.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Grace screamed. "She's NOTHING like you! There's a difference between the two of you! She never asked for any of this, yet you keep pushing her down further and further!"

"She can't hear you." Wes shrugged again.

"I-I don't care! I'll make her hear me! Kasumi! Y-You're such an idiot! How dare you speak like you're nothing but a burden?!" Grace placed her foot in the darkness, trying to use that as leverage to pull Kasumi out. Marcus did the same without even thinking about it. One could see the tears welling up in their eyes as Kasumi spoke of herself like that. "This world would be worse off without you! Each of us…in our own way can make this world a better place! You do that by just being you!"

"Yeah…" Marcus nodded. It didn't even seem like they minded that they were slipping further into the darkness. It got to the point that Greninja had to retract its tongue before it got harmed.

 _"_ _Grace…? Marcus…?"_

"W-What are you two doing…?" Wes couldn't comprehend the situation. "The darkness will eat you alive. You're better off leaving her for dead."

"If I stop now, then I don't deserve to call myself her friend." Marcus replied with a snarky grin. "You abandoned Rui for your own selfish reasons…we'd never do that to Kasumi…! So PULL!" Grace and Marcus were pulling with all their might even as they sank further into the darkness. There wasn't much anyone could do but watch as they tried to save their friend. It didn't look like it worked as they were completely submerged by the darkness, leading to a tense silence.

"No…" Bonnie's lip quivered.

There was a bright shine occurring from within the chest before the darkness exploded! Marcus called out Gallade to help slice through the darkness just as they FINALLY pulled Kasumi from that damned contraption of her own darkness. Grace held Kasumi and smiled warmly. Before she hit the ground, Entei came through and provided itself as something for them to land on and rushed them away from the scene. The tendrils suppressing everyone had vanished with Kasumi being pulled from the darkness, allowing them freedom to attack now. "NOW!" No time was wasted; every pokemon present began charging up an attack, all aimed at Wes and the shadow giant.

"Adios!" Micheal grinned while leaping off with Jolteon and Swellow.

"Tch…!" Wes had no response as the attacks collided and exploded against the shadow giant. A large smoke cloud shrouded everything after, leaving a heavy silence in the area.

"D-Did we get it…?" Ash asked. "Is she okay?!"

"…She's still breathing…" Grace let out the biggest sigh of relief. There were still some black sparks around Kasumi's body, but she was unconscious still.

As the smoke cleared around Wes and the giant…they were both still standing. Wes was a little more banged up than before and a little annoyed to be honest. "You…what's up with you all?"

"Why are you STILL active!?" Lovrina groaned. "Give up already! It's over, Wes."

"Really?" Wes tilted his head while pressing a button on his Snag Machine. Even without Kasumi the shadow giant was still intent on moving.

"Oh come on…" Michael groaned. "I can't imagine how annoying this would be if Mewtwo were here instead of her…"

"Mewtwo…?" Serena just remembered something. She picked up a strange stone back in the Chiper Lab just before Kasumi was pulled into the machine. "…Could that stone be…?"

"You're just a bully that doesn't know when to quit!" Bonnie stuck her tongue out.

"The kid's got you pegged." Viola shook her head disapprovingly. "Just give it up now."

"If you turn yourself in now, that would make things much simpler. Resisting now is only going to make your sentence even worse." Looker remarked.

"Just because you've pulled her from the machine doesn't mean you've won…" Wes shook his head while returning Umbreon and Espeon, eventually tossing their Pokeballs down to the ground elsewhere. "Did you really think that was your win condition? Because I never said anything about that. Your win condition is when I'm gone."

"Why are you such an extremist?!" Rui shouted angrily with the tears welling up in her eye.

"He's always been that way." Gonzap explained. "Why do you think he BLEW UP MY BASE!?"

"You're just a baby." Wes scoffed.

"You know…" Michael began. "When I travelled through Orre…I heard a lot about the pair that saved the region before I did. I never caught their names or even any description of them…but I was excited to meet them. I never thought I'd meet the two of you like this…and now that I have, I can say that you're pretty disappointing. What kind of person turns their back on their own partner like that? Heck, you're even making her cry right now."

To that last bit, Wes remained completely silent. "It doesn't matter anymore. I intend to see things through to the end. Anyone who stands in my way will go down…human or Pokémon." Wes threw his hand forward and a beam of darkness cut into the ground. All fell silent before a pillar of black energy erupted on our heroes and their pokemon, sending them all flying back. Kasumi was perhaps the only one unaffected since this was technically her own power being used against them.

"T-That hurt…" Bonnie grimaced.

"How dare you…" Clemont groaned.

"I-Is everyone all right…?" Diantha questioned. It seemed like they were a little worse for wear after that one.

"That was a warning shot." Wes said. "If you want to try and attack me again…just know that it'll be the last thing you all ever do…"

"WES!" Rui cried out, but he ignored her.

"I didn't come this far just to be put down, damn it!" Marcus shouted. He had plans to ride one of the beasts again, but they were started to get exhausted and that last attack didn't help. "Ugh…"

Mewtwo finally connected to Zygarde telepathic, still watching everything unfold from above. _"Why do these humans continue to fight a pointless battle? I do not understand."_

 _"_ _Because they are good humans."_ Zygarde responded. _"They are fighting against the one who imprisoned you and the three beasts. They want to see the sun rise tomorrow on a brighter day. These humans fight for everyone while putting our own safety on the line. Was there not a human who did the same even for you?"_

Mewtwo paused. Its gaze went down to Rui. She had no reason in particular for saving Mewtwo the way she did…she just wanted to. _"…..Perhaps."_

"Are you all ready to concede?" Wes questioned.

"Not…on your life…" Elizabeth spat defiantly. Although she pretty much summed up how everyone else felt.

"Wait…" Michael's head turned towards the nearby sea. They covered more distance than he thought, but this was perfect. "You guys have done more than enough right now. Leave the rest to me." Michael then began walking forward, leaving everyone else confused. "This is actually perfect…we covered just enough distance." The trainer then lifted his hand up. "Hey! I know you can hear me. I'm going to need your power for a little bit…I hope that's not a problem."

"…Who is he talking to?" Valerie thought Michael was insane. But that thought changed as the nearby sea began to ripple. After a few seconds a figure shot up into the air and let out a loud cry. That figure was none other than Lugia itself.

"WHAT!?" Lovrina started pulling on her hair. "HE PURIFIED IT!? BUT I! MY WORK….THAT'S…AHHHHHHHHHH!"

"I-I think he broke her…" Takeba covered her ears from Lovrina's piercing scream.

"Oh…?" Wes had a grin on his face as Lugia appeared and Micheal hopped on its back. "Now this is getting interesting. I remember hearing about this incident; Lugia, formerly known as XD-001, correct?" Wes pressed a button on the snag machine once again. The shadow giant began to morph as it rose into the sky. Its shape changed into something a little more fitting; a Shadow Ho-Oh, to which he made himself comfortable on. "There we go…that works. Shadow Fire!" He was commanding this lifeless entity as though it were really a Shadow Pokémon! The Shadow Ho-oOh opened its mouth and released a black stream of flame towards Lugia.

"Aero Blast!" Lugia opened its mouth to release a sharp hurricane that clashed with the Shadow Fire. The two attacks exploded in the air and neither side wasted any time in ascending even higher into the sky, firing off various attacks at each other. Both Wes and Michael knew the dangers of being in this Sky Battle but participated in it regardless.

"S-Sis…you good…?" Naps cautiously asked.

"NO I'M NOT GOOD! I MEAN AS A HUMAN BEING I'M GLAD LUGIA IS OKAY NOW, BUT AS A SCIENTIST XD-001 IS MY PRIDE AND JOY AND I CAN'T BELIEVE HE RUINED IT NO WONDER I HATE HIS GUTS AHHHHHHHH!"

"…Please quiet down." Eldes asked nicely…but there was no calming her down once she got like this.

"…." Rui stared at Kasumi, furrowing her brows as something didn't quite seem right even as she was freed.

Shadow Ho-Oh and Lugia were releasing countless blasts upon one another. Wes had a grin on his face the entire time while Michael was serious about putting him down. "Ancient Power!" Wes must've had some data on Ho-Oh he never got to use, because the similarities with this lifeless entity were something else. Rocks appeared and were thrown towards Lugia with the intent of bringing it down.

"Ancient Power!" Michael commanded. Lugia also created multiple rocks and hurled them forward. These chunks of rock broke apart against one another and turned into harmless pieces of rubble that fell out of the sky. "Sky Attack!"

"Scared Fire!"

The Shadow Ho-Oh cloaked itself in a veil of black fire while Lugia's aura was bright blue. The two flew towards each other and collided in the sky, their meeting causing a shockwave that caused the very ocean to become unstable. The force of the two attacks eventually sent them both flying away, but Michael was prepared with a counterattack. "Aeroblast!" Another Aeroblast was unleashed and this one tore a hole right in the center of the Shadow Ho-Oh. "Gotcha!"

…However. Down below, Kasumi reacted pretty violently to that and screamed while writhing around on the ground, black sparks dancing around her body. The scream caused concern as it was easy to deduce what happened. "Kasumi?! Don't tell me she's still connected to that thing!?" Marcus groaned.

"Michael, stop attacking! She's still connected somehow!" Rui shouted.

"What!?" Michael glared at Wes. "You've gotta be kidding me. How long to do you intend to use that girl as a shield to save your own hide!?"

"You aren't beating me until she dies." Wes shook his head. "You won't be able to figure out what still binds her in time." Now Wes had the offensive over Michael, who had to dodge until some sort of plan was concocted to severe Kasumi's body with this shadow once and for all.

"There's got to be something…" Ash and Greninja looked at Kasumi until they saw it: a thin black line invisible to the human eye. It connected up to the sky where Wes was. "Huh…?"

"…That Snag Machine has always been trouble…" Gonzap said it aloud. Despite all appearances he was pretty quick on the uptake. "He's been using it this entire time, correct? Needless to say once that device is broken that girl will finally be free."

"There's no way he's going to let Michael hit it…" Lovrina sighed heavily.

 _"_ _You."_ Mewtwo's telepathic voice reached Rui. She looked around to find the source but she was unable to. _"You know that you are the only one who can put an end to this…"_

 _"_ _B-But how…!? He's not listening to me…and that look in his eyes…"_ Rui began.

 _"_ _I will fight him. But his fate is yours to decide. Because you risked yourself to save me…I will follow whichever command you wish when it comes to his being."_ Mewtwo descended to the ground…in front of Serena since she had something that still belonged to him.

"…." Serena was pretty intimidated at first. The nervous sweat drop on her forehead. "O-Oh…! This is…yours right…?" She held out Mewtwo's Megastone. Mewtwo nodded, swiping the stone from her before lifting off into the sky. "…I thought my heart was going to explode."

Speaking of exploding; Michael and Mewtwo were hit by a Shadow Fire with no way to really defend themselves without putting Kasumi at risk. The Shadow Fire shot them down and they started to fall. "Ack…going down…!"

"I'll put you out of your misery…" Wes was about to issue another command, however the Future Sight from earlier set its sights on him. A kinetic portal opened up from above, raining down pellets of energy down on him. "Agh..! Damn you…!"

It was at this time that Mewtwo was flying high into the sky while channeling the energy from its Mega Stone. Its entire form began to change as its shoulders grew broader and its tail bulkier. Soon Mewtwo changed into its Mega Mewtwo X form! "It's time to put an end to this…"

"You!" Wes glared at Mewtwo as he dared to challenge him. "You should've just stayed put! I'll submerge this world without your help! I don't need anyone's help!" Wes commanded the Shadow Ho-Oh to attack relentlessly, unleashing a Shadow Fire towards the legendary. Mewtwo countered by firing off a Shadow Ball. The two incredibly strong attacks exploded against one another. Mewtwo then flew down and away but Wes was in hot pursuit. "I won't let you get away again!"

"It's coming this way!?" Kayla began freaking out. "Why!?"

"We've only got one shot…" Ash nodded to Marcus. Once Mewtwo flew by, Wes was only seconds after. "Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

"Gallade, Psycho Cut!"

Pikachu whipped its tail back to gather electricity in the shape of an orb. Once it had enough energy it hurled it forward towards the incoming Wes as Gallade sent a scythe of kinetic energy forward. Wes took note of these incoming attacks aimed at him and brought his arms forward to block them. "Don't play dumb with me!" Unfortunately in his little tirade, he completely missed the point of their actions. The Snag Machine he wore for so long exploded with his arm in it and he hissed in pain. "D-DAMN YOU! I WILL NOT…GO DOWN!" Thanks to that, Kasumi could finally relax now as the Shadow Ho-Oh began to become unstable. "I command you! Attack attack attack!" And it did just that, releasing countless Shadow Fires in attempt to strike Mewtwo down, but Mewtwo kept nimbly moving around to avoid them all.

"Look out…!" Meowth told James as he barely swerved the helicopter out of the way. Jessie was getting all of this action on camera.

"It appears that Mewtwo is facing off against Chiper's leader in a final showdown! What will come of this?!" Her commentary could use a little work, but she was too wrapped into the moment.

 _"_ _This is the moment of fate."_ Mewtwo told Rui. _"I can easily erase his memories of this entire incident and he will not remember a thing he's done. Is that to your liking?"_

As much as Rui loved that idea…she couldn't accept it. When she saw that deranged look in Wes' eyes, she already knew that he was too far gone in his own darkness and that pained her heart. _"If you do that…he'll never remember his sins…but the entire world knows of it already. I-I can't accept that…the light in his heart is buried too deep to be brought out by normal means…please, set that light free…do what you must…"_

 _"_ _So you do not let your heart sway you…you are a pure soul."_ Mewtwo threw that first option at Rui to test her resolve in saving Wes. But he was convinced she knew the right decisionnow.

"I will NOT YIELD! I WILL BE THE WINNER!" Wes screamed at Mewtwo. "I WILL-!" And Mewtwo decided it had enough of Wes' babbling. With a swipe of its hand, Mewtwo just mind wiped Wes on the spot, leaving him a dull shell of his former self who couldn't even muster the intelligence to say a single syllable. "…uh…"

"This is where it ends." Mewtwo swung both arms forward for Psycho Cut, allowing the blades to phase through the Shadow Ho-Oh while cutting deep into the ground in an X formation. Mewtwo then extended its hands forward as a kinetic field expanded, locking onto Wes and the Shadow Ho-Oh. With a single swipe of its hand Psystrike was used. The gigantic X on the ground erupted into a brilliant white light that completely consumed the entire field, blinding everyone. Wes didn't even utter a single sound in the process of it all.

.

.

Nothing but white. That's what Rui saw for a moment before seeing Wes' figure in front of her. She rushed on ahead, but no matter how much she ran he just seemed to stay the same distance away. "Wes…!"

Wes offered a sincere smile at Rui's actions before shaking his head. "You shouldn't waste your energy. You won't catch me…not that I'd want you to follow me anyway. You're strong enough on your own now, you know?"

"That's not the point!" Rui exclaimed as the tears fell from her cheeks. "I-I always want to be by your side…didn't you understand that!? Why do you think I fought you!? I sided against you because I wanted to believe in you! Why…why did you turn out like this!? What happened…!?"

"I told you…I couldn't get away from my own darkness." Wes' smile slowly saddened.

"But that's why I was there…" Rui frowned. "I…I wanted to be your light…!"

"I couldn't allow that." Wes shook his head as he seemingly got further away.

"Y-YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT! I HATE YOU FOR MAKING ME CHOOSE!" Rui screamed. "WHY DID YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE LIKE THAT!?"

"Because I knew you'd make the right choice." Wes laughed. This was the side of Wes that only Rui really got to know…the side she wished everyone got to see.

"…You're so stupid…I didn't want to choose…but you gave me no choice….I-I really…hate you…" Rui sniffled.

"That's fine…you're not the only one. I'm pretty sure there's a special seat for me where I'm going…" Wes laughed once again. "But…it was nice to see you again. Perhaps you really are my light…I was trapped in my own darkness, but you did manage to save me. So for that…thank you, Rui."

Wes was getting further. No matter how fast Rui tried to run she would never catch up to him. "I-I love you!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. The last thing she saw was Wes' smiling face. He mouthed some words to her but it all went pure whit again after that. Rui was on her hands and knees, letting the tears fall without pause.

Michael didn't want to interrupt Rui, but he gently placed two pokeballs by her side. "I think these were left for you." He said quietly before walking off. The two pokeballs opened up and Umbreon and Espeon snuggled up to Rui to comfort her. They were sad as well. Lugia returned to the sea and Michael gave it a farewell and thank you for its assistance.

As the only other person who knew Wes, Gonzap sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Wes was one of Team Snagem's best after all…and even Gonzap never foresaw Wes reaching the heights that he did. Nor did he imagine the level of insanity he'd reach towards the end either. "Damn it, kid. You were always one of the best…you just let it get to your head too often. Now you've gone and made the lady cry…pft…you're a true villain. Guess I taught you a little too well…"

"…He fought and lost on his own terms…" Elizabeth kicked a rock. For some reason this wasn't as satisfying as she thought it to be; probably because Rui was crying her eyes out. Now definitely wasn't the time for any wisecracks.

.

Looker took a glance around…seeing no trace of Wes or the Shadow Power remaining. "…What happened to him?" He asked Lovrina.

To that, Lovrina shrugged. "I dunno. I can't imagine he'll be going anywhere peaceful though…" She then stared at Looker…and the longer she stared, the more she began to sweat nervously. "…I'm so going to jail, aren't I?"

.

"How is she…?" Marcus asked.

"…She's still alive…" Grace was crying, but smiling at the same time. "Eldes said she'd wake up soon…I don't know what will happen when she does, but maybe we can finally help her…she's such an idiot wanting to say she wants to die…"

"What kind of friends would we be if we really let her go through with that, right?" Marcus joked while lightly jabbing Grace in the side with his elbow. Now that things were over, it felt like a large weight was lifted off everyone's shoulders and they could finally laugh and smile again.

"I told you it would all work out." Ash patted both Grace and Marcus on the shoulders. He wanted to thank the three beasts and Mewtwo for their assistance, but by the time he noticed them, they were already leaving. Mewtwo took to the skies while Entei, Raikou, and Suicune began to dash off into the distance. "…Thanks." With a nod, Ash glanced at the black clouds overhead. They all slowly began to part and the rising sun shone through the darkness. This was the tomorrow that they all fought so valiantly for. Ash grinned and placed his hand on his hat, tipping it to the rising sun. The battle was finally over. Together they managed to defeat Chiper. "We did it."

.

.

Next Time: Finale: Part 1: Light of Victory.


	71. Finale Part 1: Light of Victory

To say the Kalos region was okay after that incident would be a bit of a stretch. There were damages all over the region from Chiper's attack. The scars ran deep. Not just on the land, but for the people as well. Rui sat in a room with some bandages around her body, staying close to Umbreon and Espeon after what happened with Wes. They didn't leave her side and she appreciated that. "…" Rui sighed before finally deciding to open up Wes' PDA. Surely he had to have some information on it about what happened to him. "Email…email…" She grumbled while cycling through the messages. "Nothing but old emails…ugh…" She then fell back on the bed. "…I'll never forgive you for making me choose…no matter how I feel about you, you stupid idiot…"

.

.

Just about every one of the Kalos crew gathered in Kasumi's room as she recovered. Excluding Clemont, Cynthia, and Diantha, who were tied up with other matters at the moment, everyone was anxiously awaiting Kasumi to wake up. It was around then that Michael just kind burst into the room. "Yo! I got Dragonite and Tyranitar purified!"

"SSSSH!" Literally everyone shushed him. The blowback from his entrance was greater than he expected and he nearly fell over.

Lovrina walked in after him, shaking her head. "…You're going to wake her up with that annoying voice of yours if you fall over."

"Lovrina…you're not in jail?" Now, Serena didn't exactly mean to sound rude with the question…but it was an extremely fitting one considering everything that happened.

"I'm…on probation." Lovrina admitted while rubbing the back of her head. "I'm not allowed to go anywhere unless THIS one is accompanying me." She begrudgingly pointed at Michael. "Seems they trust him enough to keep an eye on me…"

"Well…at least you're not behind bars." Ash laughed quietly.

"I don't think I could take it." Lovrina sighed. "But what I can't take more is someone making a mockery out of my pride and joy of research! How could you!? I, like, worked so hard on that!"

"It's not like you made it easy!" Michael shot back. "I racked my head for days trying to figure out how to purify Lugia!

"Are you mocking me!?" Lovrina was fuming now.

"Here she goes again…" Elizabeth shook her head.

"Actually…" Takeba raised her hand from a seat nearby. "I've had a question about that. So….Lovrina does enjoy bragging about how Lugia was supposed to be impossible to purify, right? If your research was also what led to Kasumi's condition and Shadow Mewtwo…why did potential to purify them exist?" Everyone stared at Takeba as she actually made an incredibly sensible deduction.

"Now that she mentions it…" Scott really couldn't get over how right Takeba was over this. "What happened in development?"

"Ah…that…" Lovrina took a seat, crossing one leg over the other while explaining what happened. "You see…before meeting all of you and all that. Kasumi was originally intended to undergo the same process as Lugia did, which involved completely sealing her heart. I did this by researching how Wes purified Shadow Pokémon in the past and made measurements to make sure that the Time Flute wouldn't work. Ein was working on the project as well and at the time I was happy to show him the method I used…but Ein has a huge ego. So he pretty much gave me the boot on the project. …So you could say Ein's ego is the reasons things turned out the way they did. Speaking of Kasumi…how is she exactly?" She glanced at Rui.

"Well…" Rui stared at Kasumi. "There's no darkness around her like before. But I'm not sure what that means…"

"Well, I'm glad that our Lovrina has moved on from her bossy, superficial teenage self and made some friends!" Michael didn't mean for that to sound mean, but it came out horribly.

"W-What!?" Lovrina glared at him. "I was neither bossy nor superficial! And they aren't my friends!"

Michael quirked a curious brow at Lovrina's vehement denial. "So…you're in the angsty tsundere stage now?"

"You're terrible at this…" Marcus sighed.

"You wanted my autograph before right?" Lovrina pulled out a pen and paper, glancing at Michael with a sly smirk. "Who should I make this out to again? Little Michael; age 12?"

For some reason that comment really got under Michael's skin. "I-I'm not 12! And stop calling me Little!"

All the shouting made Kasumi stir. Everyone paused as she slowly sat up and her eyes finally opened…although the vibrant green hue was still dull from before, she was finally awake. "Uh…you guys…?"

"K-Kasumi…" Grace's eyes were wide and she nearly choked up. Without thinking about it she lunged forward to embrace Kasumi like never before. "I-I'm so happy you're awake! I was so worried I'd never see you wake up again!"

"She's awake…" Marcus chuckled.

"We're so happy to see you!" Bonne clapped happily.

"Welcome back to the land of the living!" Lore nodded, only to be smacked in the back of the head by Kayla for such a rude way of putting it.

"She didn't die you moron!" Kayla huffed.

"We're really happy to see you awake. We went through quite an ordeal for you…" Serena laughed softly. "How do you feel?"

So many questions. Kasumi blinked a few times before tilting her head. "...I am very sore. My body hurts."

"We're sorry…" Grace apologized while holding onto Kasumi tighter. "We just tried our best to save you."

Kasumi took a look at everyone else, noticing how they were a little injured. "Did you all get hurt trying to help me?"

"…More or less, but it's okay!" Takeba smiled to reassure Kasumi.

Lovrina eyed Kasumi carefully. "Wait a moment…Kasumi, how do you feel? Are you happy to see everyone again? Mad about what happened? Sad? Anything at all?"

"What's with the 20 questions?" Marcus asked.

Kasumi took a long hard pause before giving a nonchalant shrug. "I do not know. I do not feel anything emotional at this point…" Those words were a shock to hear.

"It's as I feared…" Lovrina stood up and examined Kasumi who just stared at her blankly. "This is one of the worst possible outcomes…I fear that while Kasumi's heart has been expelled of most of the darkness, her heart has been sealed tight in the process due to everything that happened."

"Oh no…" Grace pouted while staring at Kasumi. "…Are you feeling okay…?"

"…I told you to leave me be." Kasumi shook her head. Lovrina's explanation did clear up why she had such a monotonous tone. "I'm fated to die soon anyway…my body's soreness is probably a testament to that. I do not understand why you all recklessly threw yourselves into the jaws of darkness just to save me. That is what is called being idiotic."

"Ouch." Takeba rubbed the back of her neck.

"We're your friends, stupid." Marcus scoffed. "We know about you're condition…but we'd be damned if you didn't go out on your own terms. Plus, maybe we can still help you before it's too late. It's not like you to give up before you try."

"…I am tired. Can I sleep without any bothers?" For someone without emotions, irritation was clearly something that hadn't gone away.

"Guess we don't have a choice…" Elizabeth shrugged. "Someone sure is grumpy…"

"Now, please?" Kasumi asked again. Everyone complied to her wish and left the room. After a few moments Kasumi shook her head while placing a hand over her chest, wincing in pain. "…You people are so dumb…why did you do this…do you really hate me that much…? What part of, 'it hurts' don't you understand…? …I suppose it does not matter now. I'm just condemned to suffer a little longer…" Well, little did she know that everyone was listening to her outside of the room…and it was quite a blow considering rescuing her was one of the major missions of their operation.

"Did we do the right thing…?" Serena asked. "She didn't look happy at all…didn't sound it either…"

"The right thing was done." Lovrina clarified. "She's just…suffering the drawbacks. Her body hasn't shut down like I feared it would…but at the cost of her heart. It's sealed tight…"

"We can fix it, right?" Rui suggested. "If we take her to Orre…but wait. She's not in the condition to be moved…and I don't think she wants to move anywhere either."

"We'll just have to leave her be for now…" Marcus sighed. "Maybe there's some way to open up her heart…it can't be that hard, right?"

"Well…I'd offer we stick her in the purification chamber, but…" Michael was clearly joking, but the bad taste got him smacked in the head by Lovrina. "OW."

"Don't be stupid, idiot." Lovrina huffed.

"No one's going anywhere." Scott gestured outside. "The airports were ruined, so there are no planes coming to or from the Kalos region. "We're all here until they get fixed."

"Guess we just have more time to think about it." Ash said.

"Meanwhile…I was trying to look for Miror B, but it seems he's long gone…" Michael shrugged.

"…yeah, we kinda dropped the ball on that one." Elizabeth said while rubbing the back of her neck.

"I see…" Lovrina then nudged Michael before waving her hand. "Come on. We're going. There's another place I want to go."

"…When did I turn into your escort?" Michael sighed. "I take it back…you're still bossy."

As everyone started to take their separate ways for the time being, Serena stood by and frowned. "A way to open up her heart…? I wonder…."

.

In the Lumoise Gym, Clemont, Citroid, and Naps were working on dismantling the Shadow Machine Ein built. It was taking a little bit of time and Clemont was making sure to extract any and all data he could about Shadow Power. "This is an impressive machine. I'm surprised they were able to move it in here."

"If Ein's good for one thing, it's efficiency." Naps replied. "But how's the download going? You starting to understand how Shadow Power works? Because I sure as heck don't."

"It's…a very difficult concept to grasp." Clemont admitted. "I don't even have the slightest idea of how this is even made."

"Of course you wouldn't." Lovrina said as she walked into the gym with Michael. "Shadow Power is something that's generated…quite literally out of thin air. I could lecture you on it if you want."

"Sounds intriguing…" Citroid remarked.

"Oh no…" Naps groaned while placing a hand over his face. "Once she gets started…she won't stop."

"Please do! I could use the notes and maybe provide some assistance for the remaining Shadow Pokémon that may be out there!" Clemont nodded.

"I told you." Lovrina palmed Michael 's face away before clearing her throat. "Ahem…! Shadow Power is created by…"

.

Cynthia and Diantha walked through the ruined streets of Lumoise. The damage dealt to the city was just…terrible. Luckily the citizens were mostly unharmed, but the sight of the ruined city was still a little too much for Diantha to bear. "Such devastation…I can't forgive myself for allowing this to happen right under my nose. I should have been more vigilant, but I allowed myself to fall under Venus' ruse…"

"It's not your fault." Cynthia shook her head. "Venus excels at playing people…and the real criminal was right under our nose the entire time. And it seems he paid for his actions. The best you can do now is be an inspiration to the people. How are they going to feel if they see the Champion looking all gloomy?"

"I suppose you have a point." Diantha offered a soft smile. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it." Cynthia waved her hand dismissively. "I'm just glad Kalos is safe. More importantly…I'm just a foreigner who can't get home." That was a joke.

However, Diantha took that seriously and her eyes widened. "Oh dear…people won't be able to come to and from because the airports are in need of repair…that may have to be the first issue dealt with. Other areas have also suffered heavy damages as well…" Now she was going off on a tangent about what to do about the situation.

.

.

Looker had the remaining force of the International Police stationed in Kalos take in the Chiper Admins: Venus, Dakim, Snattle, Nascour, and Gorrigan. He had them all around for questioning and with Wes gone the process was much smoother than before. "Why isn't Lovrina here!?" Venus complained. "She's just as guilty as the rest of us for what happened. Is this because she's younger than me? Am I going out of style…?!"

"Lovrina's position is different than yours since she was willing to cooperate at the end." Looker explained.

"I suppose there's no use in denying everything now…" Nascour was pretty quick to resign after everything happened. "Very well. We'll spill everything. But I have a question of my own first: where is Ein? He is the only one that seems to be missing."

"He is the only one we were unable to find…" Looker admitted while stroking his chin in deep thought. "And I heard that Miror B is missing as well after the stunt he pulled. This information does prove foreboding…"

"Miror B isn't going to do anything." Dakim scoffed. "He's just a pushover and has no interest in large scale operations. If he did he'd be with us instead of doing his own thing."

"Even so, I was told he escaped with an unsettling number of Shadow Pokémon." Looker paused. "But that's an issue for another date. For now I will focus on what it is I can do. That begins with you telling me everything you know about Chiper and this operation. Are we clear?"

"I'm not talking until I'm promised 5 square meals a day." Venus scoffed. "I get famished faster than most, and I can't deliver information on a terribly hungry stomach…you'll feed me, won't you~?" Venus pouted at Looker, who just kept his stone cold expression.

"I've been trained to be immune to simplistic tricks such as your own. You're not getting any special treatment, especially since this is the second time you've been arrested." Looker clarified.

"…Tch." Venus scoffed. "I'll just make the prisoners my fans then…"

"You're getting solitary confinement." Looker said.

"NO WAIT I"LL TALK!" Venus scrambled up and placed her hands on the nearest table. "A-Anything but that!"

"…She broke fast." Gorrigan sighed.

"I'll never become a politician at this rate…" And Snattle was too busy being depressed with his official criminal record. Suffice to say all of their dreams were thrown out the window.

.

Sycamore's lab was…actually, somehow, one of the very few buildings that didn't get damaged at all in the carnage. Augustine had some serious luck in that regard. Serena enlisted Takeba's help…but Takeba was having some difficulties. A Honchkrow was clearly having fun flying around her. "AHH! You stupid bird! Come down here so I can smack you…!"

Sycamore opened the door to his lab after Serena knocked, although he couldn't help but notice Takeba having some trouble. "…Is everything all right?"

"She's been…battling with that Honchkrow all day." Serena said with a nervous laugh. "But uh, more importantly. There's something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" Sycamore asked while taking his eyes off Takeba. She'd be fine…probably.

"I know there's not much that can be done in the current situation…but I really want to do something that lifts everyone's moods. Kalos is my home and I know these scars won't heal for a while…" Serena placed a hand on her chest. "And there's another person I want to help as well. She's not the same person anymore…but I really want to bring a smile to her face now! There are so many people that need to smile…"

"I see what you're getting at. It's true; the region has been a little down since the aftermath of the incident. They could use a ray of sunshine in times like these. What would you need me to do?" Syacmore asked.

"Well…" Serena trailed off, because Takeba's struggle was real at this point.

"AHHH! I'll pluck these feathers right off you!" Takeba shouted while actually managing to pluck a feather from the prankster bird. Honchkrow flew off to a nearby building, snickering since it managed to ruffle Takeba's feathers. Satisfied, the bird flew off…but it would be back. She was far too easy a target. "Stupid bird…" Takeba then turned to Sycamore and Serena. "So…sorry about that! What's going on exactly?"

.

Come the next morning, a large majority of the city was gathered at Lumoise Square. There was an announcement that something special would be occurring and having as many people as possible present would only enrich the experience. Kasumi was feeling well enough to leave bed and join, but the expression on her face showed she could not care less about being there. "…Do I have to be here? Can I not just sit in bed and wither away?"

"…I'm a little mad that without emotions, she's just edgy." Marcus grumbled. "Just sit tight, okay? I'm sure you'll enjoy…..whatever's about to happen."

"You do not even know why we are here?" Kasumi shook her head and let out a sigh. "How dumb…"

"I wonder what this is all about…" Elizabeth yawned. "…I don't see our airhead…or Serena either." The crowd began to murmur. Their collective voices made it difficult to hear one another over the noise.

After a few moments Takeba appeared on stage, clad in her fanciest dress and a microphone at the ready. "Hello? Hello? Is this thing on…?" Takeba tapped it a few times until she ended up dropping it. The high pitched wail made everyone cover their ears. "Oops…" And with an awkward smile, she crouched down to pick it back up.

"…I already can't see this going very well…" Ash laughed nervously. The crowd didn't seem pleased so far.

"A-Anyway!" Takeba gestured to the large red curtain behind her. "I'm sure you've all been very curious about this! Well, Kalos…if you're looking for a reason to smile on this bright and sunny day, look no further!" Takeba grabbed onto the curtain and prepared to pull it away…but her Honchkrow friend decided to pester her once again. "No! STOP! LEAVE ME BE…!" Takeba had to avoid the pecks until she…had an unfortunate tumble off the stage. She was fine…just a little dazed. Honchkrow had a snicker before flying off, but that was after pulling down the curtain for her, revealing Serena and her Pokémon, although they were just as confused as everyone watching.

"…I see that Honchkrow is still having fun with her." Scott said with a sweat drop.

"That wasn't as elegant of a start I was hoping for…" Serena only wondered what could've happened before shaking her head. Now was no time for hesitation. "Cue the music!" The performer exclaimed. On that cue a very familiar theme began blaring through the speakers nearby.

"Huh…?" Grace titled her head. "Wait…what's this…?"

"Oh that's right…you weren't around the first time this happened." Bonnie just flashed Serena a smile. "Sit back and enjoy the show! I promise that it'll put a smile on your face!"

It was hard to deny Bonnie when she put on a cute smile like that. "Okay." Grace responded with a smile of her own.

Serena started off simple, putting one foot in front of the other with a slow dance. Pancham, Slyveon, and Braxien began to run around her. After a few seconds she threw her hand up to give the signal. "Braxien, Flamethrower! Sylveon, Swift!" Sylveon was the one who had the highest affinity for dancing in Serena's small group. After a graceful flip it flipped its feelers forward, releasing an array of golden stars across the stage. Braxien used Flamethrower to ignite these stars, giving them a fierce orange glow. "Pancham use Stone Edge!" Serena twirled around while extending her arm out. Pancham slid its shades on before leaping high into the air while raising its fist up. Just as it landed its fist hit the stage, sending out vibrant blue shockwaves that turned into rising stones. These stones lifted the stars into the air in various directions. The stars then erupted in a brilliant explosion of orange and gold sparkles that slowly cascaded down onto the audience, leaving them mesmerized by the performance almost instantly, and Serena was only just beginning!

"Whoa…" Grace had completely fallen under the spell that was Serena's performance. "It's just like a Pokémon Contest…isn't it beautiful?" She turned to Kasumi who seemingly stared intently at the performance.

After a moment Kasumi spoke. "It is very pretty…" While she said that her tone didn't indicate any shift that seemed positive.

Team Rocket was hiding in the crowd inconspicuously. Their disguises were always top tier somehow. The longer Jessie watched Serena preform, she could feel her own need to be up on the stage beginning to eat away at her core. She was doing her best to hold it in, but she was practically shaking. "….."

"She's gonna crack any second…" James sighed.

"It's only a matter of time…" Meowth agreed.

"We're not done yet!" Serena shouted. She and Braxien passed each other and that's when Serena took a hold of Braxien's stick, twirling it around to create various circles of flame suspended in the air during her dance. "Braxien, Fire Blast! Sylveon, Fairy Wind!" She then tossed the stick back to Braxien, who traced a circle in the air before launching the gigantic blaze forward. Sylveon released a pink gust of wind from its mouth to clash with the flame. The two opposing forces merged together in a tornado with Serena in the middle of it, happily twirling around with a big old smile on her face. "Dark Pulse!" Pancham finally got in on the action once again, releasing a powerful stream of darkness from its hands from the bottom of the tornado. The tornado grew unstable before it dispersed in a bright flash of light, leaving nothing but pink stars glimmering brightly in broad daylight. Serena landed and gave a curt bow. "Now, for my partner!"

That's right; Lovrina was in on this once again, along with Gardevoir and Ninetails. The crowd was much bigger than last time and she was clearly embarrassed over it. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this not once, but twice…I'm going to make this quick…"

"Aww, she's adorable when she's flustered." Marcus chuckled. Although it was as though Takeba heard that and glared cold daggers from him. It was enough to make him shudder and look around confusedly. "…That was weird."

"Okay…here we go…" Lovrina took a deep breath before finding her own rhythm. Once she did that she was able start dancing around. Her steps weren't as elegant and practiced as Serena's, but she still had some moves herself! "Ninetails, Blizzard! Gardevoir, Psychic!" Both of her pokemon acted in unison. Ninetails unleashed a powerful blizzard from its mouth and Gardevoir captured it with its telekinetic powers immediately. This blizzard was spread thin to shroud the entire audience in a chilly veil of snow while adding that slight touch of mystery due to some of their sight being cut off from the snow. "Dazzling Gleam!" Ninetails hopped into the air as its body gave off a radiant shine unparalleled to anything seen thus far. The light refracted off the snowflakes to fill the area with a sparkle that brought a smile to everyone's face. Gardevoir then pushed the snowflakes together to create a gigantic one in the air that dispersed slowly; a cool breeze washing over everyone. "Ah ha! We did it!"

"She's good at this!" Clemont grinned.

"This is awesome!" Bonnie cheered while squeezing her pouch. Both Dedenne and Squishy seemed to be enjoying the show as well.

"Ahhh! I can't take it anymore!" Jessie threw off her disguise in favor of the Jessline outfit! "I have to be up there too! Gourgeist, you're coming with me!" Jessie called forth her trusty Gourgeist and they both went onto the stage.

"Wait, where did she come from!?" Lovrina pointed accusingly at Jessiline. "I don't recall inviting her!"

"Wherever there's a stage, I have to preform!" Jessie responded.

"Yeah, well, we're wrapping up here…!" Lovrina tapped her foot impatiently.

"It's fine! Having another for the finale is great!" Serena's cheerful attitude was impossible to shoot down at a time like this. "All at once…!"

"…I have the strongest feeling that I've seen her somewhere before…" Elizabeth was trying to figure out what was bothering her so much. "Jessiline…Jessie….? Nah…"

"Seed Bomb!"

"Fire Blast!"

"Psychic!"

Gourgeist fired off several seeds into the air, allowing them to stay suspended before Braxien acted, unleashing another large blaze that set the seeds on fire as they fell. This was only the beginning as Gardevoir's Psychic took a hold of everything, sending them higher into the sky before forcefully detonating them. The chain reaction created several firework-esque explosions that covered the entire sky. Each explosion was of a different color; red, blue, green, yellow, all the colors of the rainbow! These sparkles of light rained down gently on everyone for a slow finale, but it was more than enough to uplift the mood of those in Lumoise City. They were pretty much cheering for an encore after that.

"They want more! Oh, they love me!" Jessie clasped her hands together.

"Us." Lovrina corrected, but Serena didn't seem to mind.

"Would you like to go for another?" Serena asked her to performer friends.

"Do I have to…?" Lovrina groaned…but then she realized she wasn't about to be outdone by Jessiline. "…I take that back, let's do this. Try to keep up!"

"I've been at this a lot longer than you, sweetheart." Jessie wagged her finger. "You won't be besting me that easily."

"Come on you two, let's give them another!" Serena threw her hands up with that smile on her face. That warm, magical smile of hers was truly a symbol of the light their victory brought. Had Wes won...there'd still be dark clouds over the Kalos region and perhaps the entire world. But there was nothing to worry about now; not at as long as people could keep smiling.

"She certainly knows how to put a smile on people's faces…" Grace turned to Kasumi, really hoping for such a result…but alas there was nothing. Not even the slightest hint of interest.

Ein was in the crowd watching, obviously disguised so no one would notice. With a shake of his head he just made his exit. "Enjoy your time while you can…I'm not finished yet…"

.

.

Next Time: Finale Part 2: Tag Team Exhibition!


	72. Final Part 2: Tag Team Exhibition!

It was nightfall after Serena's performance. The act went a little longer than everyone thought, so Serena and Lovrina were completely exhausted. "…Why did I let you talk me into that three times?" Lovrina groaned while slumping in her chair.

"You were enjoying it…" Serena responded while panting softly. "Don't you lie to me now…"

"I…admit nothing…" Lovrina exhaled. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the others coming to give praise to their performance.

"You two were so cool out there!" Bonnie exclaimed. "I loved it! Everyone was smiling by the end of it too!"

"Guess you can put that energy you have to use somehow…" Michael mumbled He knew if Lovrina actually heard that he'd just get smacked again.

"What did you think Kasumi? Did you enjoy it?" Serena asked while sitting up.

"…It was a very visually pleasing performance." Kasumi replied with a shrug. "However…I was unable to smile like everyone else. I would say I am surprised…but I am well aware that there is something wrong with me. I hope you did not throw that entire thing just for my sake."

"Well…not entirely…but we were hoping to see you smile…" Serena sighed as Kasumi told her what a failure it was on that part. "T-That aside…things turned out pretty well…aside from that little accident…" All eyes went onto Takeba.

"It's not my fault! That stupid bird just won't leave me alone!" Takeba huffed.

"What's up with that thing…?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know!" Takeba pouted. "It won't leave me alone and it's so annoying…"

"I heard Honchkrow are a bad omen…" Kayla said as her tone began to grow eerie.

"Eep! No! Don't say scary stuff like that! I'm too pretty to die!" Takeba hid behind Elizabeth.

"…Wrong person." Elizabeth sighed.

"I-I knew that…" Takeba coughed. "A-anyway…even after all that's happened. All's well that ends well, right? I mean…we won after all and I think that celebration was a great way to cap things off!"

Scott peered out the window where Lumoise was still going under construction. To say all was well was a bit of an overstatement. "…I'm just going to stand here until you get it." He eventually said.

"Don't bother. You'll be there a while…" Elizabeth's remark made everyone laugh. "But she's our airhead after all."

"Y-Yeah…" Takeba let out a somewhat forced laugh while barely managing to keep a smile. That changed when Elizabeth looked at her with sincerity for once. "Huh?"

"But seriously…you did a really good job out there. I know I poke fun at you a lot…you just make it so easy." The bluenette began. "But you really are something else."

"You really gave us a boost back there!" Ash grinned.

"Wait, what?" Takeba blinked several times.

"The counterattack, you dummy." Grace said while shaking her head. "We were all having a really hard time out there! It was really worrying when we heard that Venus had a hold of you…but you somehow managed to pull through right?"

"All it took was a little thinking outside the box!" Takeba flexed her arm, although it was her intuitive brainpower that she should've been flexing. "I know I'm not as smart as Clemont or Lovrina…but maybe that's not so bad. Because it's the simple stuff that people tend to overlook…and I'm really good at the simple stuff! I guess you could say my ability is Simple!"

"Ah, she beat me to it." Lore teased.

"That aside…we're really grateful for your actions." Clemont agreed to the general consensus. "I was overthinking my battle against Ein, but your victory signal gave me the idea I needed to defeat him."

"You really are a talented trainer." Scott said with a small grin. "We've no reason to worry about you. As much."

Takeba just had a wide smile on her face as everyone thanked her for her victory. "Awww…it was nothing special! I was just showing you that I could be dependable, just like I promised!" Even as Takeba spoke…there were tears streaming down her cheeks. She was aware of this and tried to wipe them away, but it didn't stop. "T-that's strange…I don't know why I'm crying…"

"You. Go hug her or something." Lovrina said while pushing Marcus forward. It wasn't just her; Serena, Elizabeth, Grace, and Kayla were all shoving Marcus towards Takeba.

"W-Why me…!?" Seems someone still didn't get it. One final shove and he staggered forward before stopping right in front of her. Takeba then clung to his shirt as she continued to cry. "O-Oh…"

"B-Back home…everyone always made fun of me. They just wanted to be my friend so they could get in on my money. I don't think I had any friends back then and they all just called me stupid. I mean…you guys do that but I don't mind. You guys are really my friends…!"

"Ah…so that's why you took us shopping that day…" Kasumi made her comment on the situation. But really she had nothing to contribute; she felt extremely out of place as all of these emotions were flying around. "I am sorry…I'll go back to being quiet."

"No, talk please…!" Grace stared pleadingly at Kasumi.

"…." Kasumi shut herself up. Grace frowned and decided to leave her be.

Michael then came forward, holding a pokeball out. "Right…before you go anywhere. This is your Dragonite. I purified it for you with the Purification Chamber. It didn't take long."

"…I shouldn't." Kasumi shook her head while staring at her hands. "Give it to Grace or Marcus. Me making contact with it right now is ill advised." With that comment left hanging in the air, Kasumi made her leave. While everyone made conversation, Kasumi thought about sneaking off to suffer alone since she felt so out of place. She only managed to walk out of the hotel before she bumped into Diantha. "Oh. My apologies…I'm sure you want to talk to them."

"No, actually. I came to talk to you." Diantha said with a small smile. "Would you mind speaking with me outside?"

.

It was a temperate night; not too hot, not too cold. Just in the middle. Kasumi sat down at a bench next to Diantha while placing her hands on her lap, dull emerald eyes staring at the Kalos Champion. "Why do you want to talk to me?"

"I wanted to know how you were feeling." Diantha sat next to Kasumi.

"You too…?" Kasumi sighed. "I don't understand why you are all so concerned for me. I don't feel anything aside from pain. My body hurts….and I'm not going to last much longer. Your time is better off spent not worrying about me."

"Kasumi, dear…" Diantha went to place a comforting hand on Kasumi's shoulder, but the moment she touched her she was 'shocked'. She withdrew her hand quickly and stared at the blonde. "Huh…?"

"…See?" Kasumi stared up at the night sky. Since many of the lights were off in the city it was easy to see the stars for once. "They all fought so hard…but it was for nothing."

"I disagree." Diantha shook her head. "Had they not fought for you, you wouldn't be here with us right now. I know there's not much that can be done at the moment…but your friends are willing to do whatever they can to help you."

"They should have just left me." Kasumi was rather annoyed that the point she kept making didn't seem to make it through to anyone. "You know…I was somewhat conscious. I kept hearing everything. I'm sure you heard it too: how the only way to stop Chiper was to kill me. Well…I figured that to be true. You know that physical pain isn't the only pain that exists, right? Well…I do think Kasumi died along with that shadow beast. My emotions have dried up…I don't feel anything. I'm just an empty shell of what Kasumi used to be. The body may still be around…but the ego is dead. I don't belong with them anymore. I realized that after they could smile and cry so easily…I felt nothing the entire time."

"Kasumi…" Diantha wasn't quite sure what to say, so she just listened.

"I told them to let me go. They don't listen…they're such a stubborn bunch. I've been nothing but a burden to them this entire time…" As Kasumi spoke, there were tears rolling down her cheeks. But this only confused her. "…Huh?"

"Those tears…are you sad?" Diantha asked.

"…No." Kasumi shook her head. Her eyes were still dull and showed no sign of emotion. "I don't feel anything. So I don't understanding why I'm crying…"

"Perhaps your body knows." Diantha suggested. "Despite what you say, I don't believe you're completely void of emotion. Shedding tears, whether you're happy or sad, is just a mark of being alive. People and Pokémon all cry. Even if you feel your emotions are gone…the heart doesn't work that way. They aren't simply 'erased'. Maybe dormant and surpressed, but never truly gone."

"Why are you talking to me?" Kasumi asked. It was hard to discern whether or not she was interested in the conversation anymore or not.

"Sometimes it takes someone you haven't talked to before to…you know, talk. Would you have spoken so freely around the others?" Diantha asked.

To that, Kasumi shook her head. "No. I suppose not. They vehemently deny anything bad I have to say…but you were accepting of it. So…for that…thanks." She then stood back up. "They're going to pester me with questions if I don't go back."

"I understand." Diantha responded. "Oh, right…tomorrow, there's going to be a special event held at the stadium. I do hope you'll come with the others. And I hope you do speak with the others about how you feel. You are not a burden to them. It may be true that we don't know how much time you have left…it could be tomorrow…or it could be years from now. But you should make the most of that time. Your life has been twisted in the hands of evil and good. Your friends have good intentions…they only want the best for you. But don't let that stop you from doing what you want to do." Diantha finished having said her piece and made her way back.

"…She just had to get the last word in, didn't she?" Kasumi rubbed her arm before walking back inside. "…What I want to do, huh…? …If I told her it was to die, I bet she wouldn't have agreed with me either."

.

.

The next day came, and as Diantha said before, there was an event being held at the stadium. A sizeable crowd gathered in the mostly ruined stands while waiting for the announcement. Before Takeba could really settle down her new friend Honchkrow decided to bother her once more, causing a bit of a scene. "Ack! Hey! You stupid bird!"

"Shouldn't we….do something about this?" Serena glanced at the others. Although it was clear that they had no intentions of getting involved because they were certain that thing would peck at them too. And nobody wanted to deal with that. Eventually Hydreigon had its fun and departed, leaving Takeba at her wits end. "Damn bird…"

"Are you…okay?" That was really the only question Marcus could ask.

Takeba sighed and sat down next to Marcus, resting her head on his shoulder. "Nope. And don't you complain about me being too heavy either or I'll smack you."

"…At least you gave me warning this time." Marcus sighed. He was stuck with her but at least he didn't seem to mind.

"I wonder what this event is all about…" Ash asked while looking around. "There are a bunch of people gathered here…"

"Cynthia did ask us to come…so I'm sure it's something important." Elizabeth mentioned.

"Of course you'd say that…" Kayla rolled her eyes. "She could sneeze in your direction and it'd be the most eventful day of your life."

"…I hate that you're not wrong." Elizabeth coughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed that she was called out.

Kasumi made her way down the stairs, spotting the others with her hands behind her back. "Oh, there you all are."

"Kasumi!" Grace beamed and patted the seat next to her. "You came!"

"…Only because I was asked." Kasumi said while sitting down.

"Huh…? Is that where you went last night?" Rui asked.

"It doesn't matter." Kasumi replied while waving her hand.

"As distant as usual, I see…." Elizbeth frowned.

After a few minutes of waiting Diantha appeared in the center of the stadium with a microphone in hand. "Hello citizens of Kalos. I know you're all still very shaken from the events that transpired the other day. I would like to apologize for what happened. But rest assured, the threat known as Chiper is no longer lingering in the air of our Region."

The audience began to murmur as Diantha spoke. It wasn't that they doubted her, but considering the damage done to Lumiose and all along the region it was understandable that they were worried. Cynthia was watching from the stands as well. "Hm…"

"Are you worried?" Sycamore asked Cynthia. "I wouldn't."

"I'm not." Cynthia shook her head.

"I understand that you're all still worried due to the damages. They'll be repaired in due time, that I promise. But in the meantime, I've gathered you all here for a special occasion. Something to take your mind off all the troubles. How would you like to see some battles with myself and Sinnoh Champion Cynthia as a guest?" That got the crowd's attention and they started cheering.

Cynthia, however, was not expecting this turn of events. Both eyes were wide and she blinked a few times. "…I wish she told me this beforehand!"

"But…it seems she needs some time to get ready…" Diantha could feel Cynthia's discomfort due to the hasty suggestion. "If there is anyone else who would like to use the stadium to give the people a show until then…"

"Oh!" Michael practically jumped at the idea, appearing from nowhere since he wasn't with the others. "Excuse me, Ms. Champion! There's something I'd like to challenge?" And of course Michael's abrupt entrance made the crowd murmur, questioning who exactly he was.

"…That kid has no tact." Lovrina sighed.

"Oh? Who is it, Michael?" Diantha blinked curiously. She had honestly forgotten that Michael was still present and hadn't left yet, then she remembered that there were hardly any means of exiting or entering Kalos at the moment.

"Rui!" Michael exclaimed. "Come on down for a double battle!"

Rui blinked a few times. Her eyes widened as she realized Michael called her out. "W-Wait?! Me!? Why!? Has he no tact!? I'm in mourning…!"

"Maybe that's why…" Scott mumbled, although he had no evidence to support his theory. "Ah…pay no mind to me. You should get going."

"Ugh…." Rui groaned while picking herself up from the seat and walked to the stadium.

.

Once Rui made her way down to the stadium Michael was already on the other side and Diantha took the referee positions. "This wasn't a setup, was it?" Rui asked Diantha, who responded by shaking her head. "What do you want?"

"A battle." Michael's answer was incredibly simplistic. "That's what Ms. Champion suggested right? So come on! Double battle!"

"Ugh…you're so annoyingly pushy…" Rui placed two fingers on her forehead and sighed. "Don't you know how to respect women? I'm not in the mood for…"

"I didn't give you Tyranitar for you not to make use of it." Michael sounded pretty annoyed. "And I doubt those two Pokémon were also given to you if he didn't think you could handle them well. They could use the stress release. I know I'm still learning as a trainer, but that's something I picked up just hearing about you guys in Orre. Change doesn't come about by doing nothing."

It was…a strange feeling that overcame Rui. Michael's tone made it sound as though he looked up to her, which was strange since he never even caught her name until recently. She wasn't the only one hurting. "Okay…I'll battle you. Umbreon, Espeon…let's go!" Rui pulled out two familiar capsules and tossed them into the air. The capsules opened up, the neon light spewing forth revealing the twin Eeveelutions.

"There we go…" Michael grinned before calling out his selected pair. "Jolteon, Swellow! Let's get to work!" Michael called out his two pokemon of choice and grinned. "Would you mind if I started?"

"N-Not at all…" Rui nodded. She was feeling nervous. Even after everything that happened she wasn't entirely confident in her battling skills.

"Great. Jolteon, Pin Missile!" Jolteon's quills extended before releasing numerous needles towards the opposing pair from all angles.

 _"_ _Pin Missile is a bug type move. Bug moves are super effective against both Umbreon and Espeon, so I should prioritize neutralizing the attack before attacking…"_ Rui nodded to herself before issuing her command. "Espeon use Swift!" Espeon leapt forward and swung its tail, releasing an array of stars that clashed with the Pin Missile. The attacks exploded in the center of the field to create a cloud of smoke. "Now Dark Pulse!" Umbreon opened its mouth to release a powerful stream of darkness that cut through the smoke and struck Jolteon, forcing to slide back along the ground.

"Not bad…" Michael grinned to himself. "Swellow; Boomburst!"

"Light Screen!" Swellow flapped its wings, creating an explosive wave of sound that sliced through the smoke towards the two Eeveelutions. Espeon took charge and created a barrier of light around its partner. The Boomburst hit, but it was nowhere near as powerful due to Light Screen reducing the damage.

"She's got instinct." Cynthia remarked. "For someone who watched a lot of battles she knows what she's doing. I wonder if she learns by watching…"

"Quick Attack!" Both Jolteon and Swellow showcased their true speed. Jolteon sprinted forward, slamming its body into Umbreon while Swellow struck Espeon with its wing. The impact from both caused Umbreon and Espeon to tumble backwards since the momentum was against them.

"Payback!" Umbreon recovered quickly as a dark aura surrounded its body. The Dark type lunged forward at Swellow and slammed it down to the ground with its paw. Due to taking damage prior Payback's strength was doubled and Swellow was sent into the air. "Psybeam!" Espeon then fired off a kinetic beam at Jolteon.

"Dodge and use Double Kick!" Jolteon evaded the Psybeam and sprinted forward towards Umbreon, turning around on its hind legs to slam them into Umbreon's skull. The impact made Umbreon tumble along the ground due to how strong it was.

"Ah! Umbreon! Espeon cover it with Iron Tail!" Espeon nodded and leapt into the air, swinging its tail down towards Jolteon. It was a direct hit and Jolteon and thrown backwards, however this left Espeon open to assault!

"Swellow, use Brave Bird!" Swellow dove forward as a fierce blue aura flared around its body. Swellow wasted no time slamming its body into Espeon's for a critical hit, sending the psychic type flying until it hit the ground, wounded from impact. "Now finish it with Thunder!" Jolteon fired off a potent bolt of lightning from tis body towards the downed Espeon.

"Iron Tail!" Rui commanded. Having watched so many battles she had an idea of what she wanted to do. Umbreon leapt forward and held its tail out. Due to Iron Tail being a Steel type move, it was able to conduct electricity without harming the user. Umbreon's tail was coated in electricity along with the power of Iron Tail. The dark type then leapt forward, swinging this tail at Swellow to knock it out of the sky and into Jolteon.

"Whoa! That was cool!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Swift!" Rui was continuing to ride this offensive momentum. Espeon released another array of stars that rained down on the two opposing pokemon, dealing damage with whatever golden stars did manage to hit. "Yes!"

"Not bad!" Michael admitted. "But let's see how you handle this! Boomburst! Pin Missile!" After recovering from Swift, Swellow flapped its wings once again to release an explosion burst of sound towards the Eeveelution pair. At the same time Jolteon unleashed multiple pins from its body. These pins rode the Boomburst and travelled at immensely fast speeds. Rui wasn't sure how to react to this combination and her moment of hesitation caused Umbeon and Espeon to be hit. The ensuring explosion worried her and she cried out their names in concern. As the dust settled, both stubborn pokemon were still conscious, refusing to yield just yet. "Ah…you two have always been so stubborn about losing…"

"You're not bad. But I think it it's time to bring this to a close." Michael nodded to Jolteon. "This has been fun. Pin Missile!" Jolteon fired off another barrage of needles at the downed pair.

 _"_ _I don't want to lose…"_ Rui thought to herself. _"I know they don't either…I'm their new master now…and I want our first fight together to be a victory!"_ Rui's hands clenched into fists. "Umbreon, Espeon! Please don't give up yet! I don't want to lose! Let's keep fighting together!" It seems those words of encouragement were enough for both Umbreon and Espeon. Espeon was the first to stand up as its eyes shone neon blue. The incoming Pin Missiles were all suspended in midair by Espeon's telekinetic powers, leaving the crowd shocked. "Huh…?!"

"Wait a second…" Michael blinked.

"I think that's Psychic!" Serena shouted.

"Psychic…" Rui blinked a few times before a wide grin spread on her lips. "Okay Espeon! You know what to do!" That it did. Espeon used its newfound Psychic to send all of the Pin Missile flying back to the sender! Both Swellow and Jolteon received damages from the Pin Missile. "Perfect!"

"Oh my…" Diantha took a look at Rui. It was clear to anyone lying eyes on her that this was the first time that spark of battle was ignited within her.

Gonzap was also watching from the crowd, although he was a little more secluded in his position. "…"

"Now we're talking." Michael grinned. "Quick Attack!" Both Jolteon and Swellow began to showcase their speed once again. Only this time Rui wasn't having any of it.

"Not this time! Iron Tail!" Umbreon slammed its tail onto the field, the force kicking up a large amount of debris. "Psychic!" Espeon utilized its new move to the best of its ability and took control of all the large debris Umbreon kicked up before shooting it towards the incoming pair!

"Oh!" Michael was not expecting Rui to be so innovative so quickly. "Watch out!" Jolteon and Swellow did their best to evade the incoming rocks. Swellow didn't last long and was hit by a rock that sent it flying back. Jolteon was the more evasive of the two, hopping along said rocks before closing the distance towards Umbreon. "Double Kick!" Jolteon pushed off the last rock and lunged towards Umbreon, however…

"Iron Tail!" Espeon came in from Jolteon's right, slamming its tail into the electric hound's face to knock it away. "That's the way!" Rui grinned.

"Thunder!" Jolteon recovered to fire off another bolt of lightning. This one struck both Umbreon and Espeon. A normal pair of Pokémon would've been finished from that attack right there, but these two were extremely stubborn about falling to any opponent. "Geez, these two vehemently deny falling over. I gotta give respect to their trainer for that one."

"Are you two okay?" Rui asked and received two nods. "Okay. Let's wrap this one up! Espeon, use your biggest Swift! Umbreon, your strongest Dark Pulse!" Espeon flicked its tail forward, releasing a singular, large golden star high into the air. Umbreon then hopped off Espeon's back and fired off a Dark Pulse into the center of the star. The star became fueled with Dark type energy and began to rapidly descent towards Swellow and Jolteon. "D-Dark Star!" Rui exclaimed with a somewhat proud grin on her face for coming up with that name on the spot.

"The coup de grace, eh? Fine with me! Jolteon use Thunder! Swellow, one last Boomburst!" Swellow unleashed yet another Boomburst, only this time its purpose was to increase the potency of Jolteon's Thunder via the explosive wind. Michael and Rui's combination attacks ended up collided in the center of the stadium, creating a fierce shockwave and gust of wind that made everyone cover their eyes. This immense power struggle continued for only a few seconds longer before both powers collapsed against one another in a large explosion. "Whoa!"

"Ah!" Rui shieled her eyes with her arm as the explosion nearly shook the entire stadium. There was a gigantic cloud of dust and smoke lingering in the center of the stage. The silent tension grew with each passing second as the cloud began to disperse. Once the cloud was completely gone the result was clear.

Diantha threw up both of her hands and exclaimed: "Both sides' pokemon are unable to battle. This battle is a draw!" That's right; Jolteon, Swellow, Umbreon, and Espeon were all down. Either way the crowd ended up cheering after such a battle.

"That was so cool…" Bonnie said once again. "I didn't know Rui could fight like that!"

"I don't think she knew that either…" Serena laughed softly. "I guess Michael is pretty clever…"

"I bet he was just hungering for a battle…" Lovrina grumbled. But she couldn't deny that Rui did an extremely good job for what was likely her first staged battle.

Rui returned both Umbreon and Espeon with a smile on her face. "Thanks you two…I know I'm nowhere near as good as Wes was…but I hope you two will continue to bear with me."

"Not bad." Michael approached Rui while extending his hand out. "Not bad at all."

"You too." Rui then shook Michael's hand with a smile on her face. "Thank you. I feel a little better now."

"What an excellent showing by these two." Diantha was smiling herself. "We'll be back shortly after a quick break. The true show will be underway soon."

.

Rui was feeling such a rush! She took a break in the hallway and panted softly. "Wow…so that's what a real battle is like. Battles are really fun when it's not life and death related…I could get used to this!"

"You look tired." Elizabeth and Takeba were asked to go fetch Rui. "How was it?"

"So…so much fun!" Rui smiled. "Back when Wes and I travelled…there were some battles where he looked like he was having fun. When I watched the tournament, I saw a lot of you guys making those same expressions…and I can understand why now."

"HAHA!" Gonzap's laugh echoed through the hallway, startling the females. "Such a brilliant display of battle! With some fine tuning you could become an admin of Team Snagem!"

"Yeah, let's not." Rui shook her head.

"Oh, there you are." Diantha approached the small group and Elizabeth froze. "I wanted to ask you a favor, Elizabeth. I won't be able to referee the next battle since I'm a part of it and I was hoping you could stand in for me."

Elizabeth froze for whatever reason and just shut down, staring at Diantha. Takeba sighed and took over, placing her two fingers on the corner of Elizabeth's mouth to move them and mocked her voice. "Oh yes, my dear Diantha! I would love to do any task bestowed upon me by you! I'll do anything for you!"

Diantha stared at the…situation playing before her. After a few seconds she just nodded. "Oui…how wonderful! I'll be waiting then." And with that Diantha walked towards the arena.

"You owe me one." Takeba sounded pretty proud of herself for helping Elizabeth through that. "…Uh…are you alive?"

.

"Sorry for the wait everyone!" Diantha apologized to the crowd. "There were some final preparations needed but we're ready now!" Cynthia was standing next to Diantha on the field as they awaited their two opponents. A few moments passed and the two opponents appeared: Ash and Marcus! "I assumed everyone would enjoy watching a match between two champions and the two finalists of the Regional Tournament."

Diantha's assumption was not wrong. This matchup had the crowd ecstatic. "She knows how to pick 'em…" Clemont remarked.

And standing in the middle on the referee's side was Elizabeth, looking back between her friends…and the two females who were her idols. "…I can already see how this is going to go."

"You'll cheer for us right?" Ash grinned.

Elizabeth shook her head and responded immediately "Yeah…no. Sorry about that, but I have to go with my girls here. They're going to crush you both."

"…That's cold." Marcus blinked. "But this is fine with me! I've been waiting for a rematch with you, Cynthia. Our last battle did end prematurely."

"You've improved, but don't get ahead of yourself." Cynthia smiled. "Now then…shall we get started? Garchomp, to battle."

"Gardevoir, on stage!" Both Cynthia and Diantha threw out Pokeballs containing their signature Pokémon. Gardevoir and Garchomp stood side by side.

"Very well. Gallade, here we go!" Marcus called out his Gallade, who stood by for battle quite bravely.

"Greninja, let's go!" Ash called forth Greninja once more for battle.

"Are both sides ready? Begin!" Elizabeth threw her hand down and whispered. "Kick their butts champions."

"No sense beating around the bush." Diantha reached for the necklace around her neck, activating the Keystone embedded with. The Keystone reacted with Gardevoir's Megastone, transforming the elegant psychic type into its Mega form!

"Already? I like this!" Marcus grinned and did the same action. "Gallade, Mega Evolve!"

"Greninja, let's go!" Both Greninja and Gallade were wrapped in a strange light. Water exploded around Greninja as Gallade's body was engulfed in a brilliant shine. The water around Greninja steadily came down to a focused Shuriken around its back while Gallade entered its Mega form.

Cynthia sighed heavily while giving a shrug of her shoulders. "Why does it feel like I'm the only normal one around here? Oh well…Brick Break." Garchome complied to the orders and sprinted forward with its fin at the ready.

"Cut!" Greninja sprinted at Garchomp while brandishing two blades from its thigh. Greninja and Garchomp swung at the same time, the two of them colliding. The collision created a fierce shockwave and the two of them refused to give an inch.

"Shadow Ball." Gardevoir pointed its arms forward, releasing countless Shadow Ball at Greninja.

"Night Slash!" Gallade's arms tinted violet and it ran forward, slashing through each and every Shadow Ball before closing the distance to Gardevoir. Gallade aimed a horizontal slash at Gardevoir, however its elegant movements allowed it to evade with grace. "Much stronger than Elizabeth's…"

"I HEARD THAT…I mean it's true but…" Elizabeth's voice trailed off since she really couldn't take as much offense as she wanted to that remark.

Greninja and Garchomp leapt backwards after their clash and it was Cynthia who issued an immediate follow up. "Fire Blast!" Garchomp reared its head back, gathering a large accumulation of flames within its mouth before fire off the blast of flame towards the opposition.

"Moonblast!" Diantha was going to add onto this. Gardevoir gathered the power of the moon and fired off a blast composed of pure Fairy energy along with Garchomp's Fire Blast.

"Water Shuriken!"

"Psycho Cut!"

Greninja drew the Shuriken from behind its back, allowing it to grow more than three times its size as it reared back! Gallade's action was similar, lifting its blade up into the air as it shone brightly, resembling a prism sword due to the strength gathered. Greninja hurled the shuriken forward just as Gallade swung its blade down. All four attacks collided in the center of the stadium, resulting in a near catastrophic explosions. Not a soul could see what was going on within the smoke, but they saw the expressions of the trainers from the outside. They were all having fun and this was precisely what was needed to lift the spirits of those disheartened by recent events.

"Let's GO!" Grace shouted for her friends. "Isn't this great, Kasumi?!"

"…They're very skilled." Kasumi remarked, dully as usual. Her lack of response was perhaps the most disheartening thing thus far.

.

.

In a secluded location, the rogue Ein set up an appointment with a special person: Ardos. Eldes' twin brother and the one who wanted to revive Chiper under any and all costs. "It took quite an amount of work to find you, Ardos. But I'm sure you understand the situation yes?" Ein asked.

"Quite." Ardos responded. "To be frank, I wasn't interested in the resurgence led by that man. Chiper's true resurrection will only be issued by me, the son of Greevil. I will inherit my father's will and push Chiper to the true organization it was meant to be, and I will crush any and all who dare to oppose me. Starting with that boy."

"Your determination speaks wonders. You can be Chiper's true leader, and I will resume my research. I already have our first assignment in store." Ein said as his shades gave off a sinister glint. Even now…Chiper wasn't done just yet. There was one final trick up their sleeve…

.

.

To be continued in the Final Chapter: The Heart That Can't Be Beat.


	73. Final Chapter: Our Promise

It had been several days since the exhibition at the stadium. The damage in Lumiose was being repaired with each passing day. Everyone relaxed in the hotel for what may be their final evening together. "You know…" Takeba began while staring out the window. "I overheard that the airports are going to be opening again tomorrow afternoon. I think that means this is going to be the last of our time together."

There was a bit of a heavy silence around as Takeba brought up a good point. "Huh…" Marcus sat back in his chair. "Time really flies when you're having fun, huh…?" A worried glance was then given to Kasumi. She only really stuck around because she knew they'd bother her more if she wasn't nearby. "Any changes? Feel like smiling?"

"No." Kasumi replied a little too quickly for comfort. It was clear she was at her wits end with everyone despite all their efforts.

Grace sighed while staring at her friend. "Isn't there anything we can do for her?"

"It's hopeless unless we find some way to open her heart." Lovrina reported solemnly. "Hey Rui…does it look like her heart has opened up even a tiny bit? Even just a sliver would make this much easier."

Rui took a glance at Kasumi only to see not a single change. "…Nothing sadly. She's closed up tight."

"You know, my offer of shoving her into the Purification Chamber is still valid…" Michael trailed off. For some reason that was a response that caught Kasumi's attention; having those dull lifeless eyes stare into your soul was enough to shut anyone up. "I-It was a joke…"

"How frightening…" Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't think there's anything more we can do for her right now…as much as I hate to say it."

"We'll take her back to Kanto." Marcus nodded. "Maybe we can try something then…"

"I'm sure you can do it. I have faith." Ash replied with that usual grin of his. "And if you need help you know where to find us!"

"Your support is very welcome." Grace gave an appreciative smile.

"Alas…our paths shall part come this time tomorrow." Lore calmly spoke. "This time together was quite fun."

"We're not leaving yet, idiot." Kayla rolled her eyes while giving the usual bit of sass. "What are we even going to do until it's time to leave?"

"U-Uhm…!" Takeba spoke up shyly. "I have a request…!"

"…Something tells me this won't be good." Scott remarked.

"So…you know that annoying Honchkrow that keeps bothering me? Well…I want to catch it before we leave! And I want you guys to help me!" Takeba nodded firmly. Although to the others the idea of Takeba catching a Pokémon sounded like it would be a train wreck.

"We should probably help her. She's a mess after all." Marcus teased. When he said it like that it just made Takeba puff her cheeks out.

"…..Do I have to come?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes. We're not letting you out of our sight." Grace responded. "You've been okay these last few days."

"I see…" Kasumi stood up and stretched. "Well…I'm going to sleep now." She took a few steps before stopping. "…Oh right. I wanted to say…I watched the Finals that I missed since I was unconscious. Marcus and Ash…you both did really well. It was an enjoyable battle to witness. You both are very strong."

"O-Oh…thanks!" Ash grinned.

"I…uh…" Kasumi rubbed the back of her neck, unsure how to phrase what she wanted to ask. "I'm…curious. Since this may be the last time we see each other for a while…I want to know what it is you all want to do in the future."

Kasumi's question did garner some strange responses since it was somewhat out of the blue. "Where'd that come from?" Takeba asked.

"…I knew I shouldn't have asked. It was a dumb thing to worry about." Kasumi shook her head and went to walk off, but Grace grabbed her hand to stop her. Of course Grace felt a stinging sensation shock her body, but she didn't go even though it hurt.

"No…we'd be h-happy to tell you!" Grace forced a smile through the pain.

Kasumi stared at Grace before pulling her hand away for the brunette's sake. "Don't be dumb, you know you can't touch me. But…thank you. I suppose."

"Come, sit down." Grace ushered Kasumi to a seat. "We've already talked about this beforehand but we'll be happy to tell you what we're up to. This involves you too."

Kasumi took a seat while staring at the others. It was very unnerving to have them all smiling at her like that. "…Stop staring at me. It's creepy."

"Says the one with the dull eyes…" Kayla mumbled. "Okay, just sit down and listen. We've all got our own plans later. Here's what we're going to do…"

.

.

The next morning it was time to initiate operation: Capture Honchkrow! In order for this to begin, the others had to leave Takeba be for a while. She was certain that bird was watching her from somewhere. Takeba traversed along the road of Route 2 alone, minding her own business with her hands behind her back. _"Come on you stupid black bird…take the bait…I'm right here…"_ The pinkette thought. After a few moments of walking it happened: Honchkrow emerged from the trees and dove at Takeba. "EEEP!"

"Pikachu Electro Ball!" Pikachu hopped from some shrubbery nearby, flicking its tail forward to shoot a ball of electricity forward. Honchkrow noticed this at the last second and flapped its wings to fly backwards, allowing the sphere to pass it.

"Ah ha!" Takeba then dug into her pocket for a pokeball. "Go, Pokeball!" Takeba tossed the pokeball forward, but Honchkrow slapped it back with its wing. The capsule ricocheted off the bird's wing and slammed into Takeba's forehead. "Gah!" With a yelp she fell backwards with a red mark on her forehead.

"Honey…you got to weaken it first…" Elizabeth placed two fingers on her forehead and sighed. The others started to make their way out of hiding.

"I-I know…!" Takeba laughed nervously while standing up. "I uh…did things out of order." At the very least Honchkrow realized that she wanted to battle and actually stuck around this time, cawing at the pinkette. "I don't understand bird language!"

"If I had to guess…" Scott began. "I think you caught its attention when you beat that 'shrewd woman' some time ago."

"Venus…?" Takeba blinked slowly. "Wait…you were watching me? Ah ha! I impressed more than just myself with my plan. I told you I'm a genius."

"Are you gonna fight it or not…?" Kasumi asked with a heavy sigh.

"Oh…right! Blastoise let's go!" Takeba called forth her Blastoise to battle.

"Why do I feel like this is going to be a train wreck…?" Marcus said while rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, that's your girl; you should have more faith in her." Grace nudged her friend with her elbow. That response flustered Marcus so he just turned away and coughed awkwardly.

"You can do it Takeba!" Bonnie and Serena cheered.

"This is going to be a show…" Michael sat at the base of a tree to watch.

"Best of luck, challenger!" Said Lore.

"You're all so weird. Just don't mess it up." Kayla offered her strange encouragement.

"That's their roundabout way of saying catch it, right?" Rui glanced at Lovrina who just gave her a simple shrug.

"Okay here we go!" Takeba spun around before pointing at Honchkrow. "You annoying bird! You'll be mine from this day on! Aura Sphere!" Blastoise leaned forward, shooting off a sphere of raw energy towards Honchkrow.

"Caw!" Honchkrow exclaimed before flapping its wings, sending crescents of wind towards the incoming Aura Sphere. This was Air Cutter and it cleaved through the Aura Sphere and struck Blastoise, causing it to slide back.

"Whoa, that thing is strong…!" Ash exclaimed.

"Ooof…not bad." Takeba nodded. "Okay, Water Pledge!" However, before Blastoise could even initiate its attack, Honchkrow used one of the sneakiest moves ever: Sucker Punch! The bird flew forward and struck Blastoise with an underhanded blow. Blastoise didn't flinch and continued with its actions. The moment Blastoise' fist struck the ground multiple pillars of water shot up from the ground. Honchkrow was unable to escape from them all and was shot into the air. "Ah ha! Now Aura Sphere!" Blastoise continued this momentum and fired off an Aura Sphere.

However…Honchkrow recovered quickly. Its eyes had a devious glint in them as it cawed before a mirror appeared in front of its body. This mirror then turned into Aura Sphere, which collided with incoming projectile for an explosion.

"Ah!?" Takeba stared at the others for an explanation.

"That was Mirror Move." Clemont explained. "It allows the user to copy the last move the opponent used."

"No way. This thing is so sneaky…" Takeba racked her brain for an idea.

"Don't stress it too much now! It is tiny!" Elizabeth teased.

"At least mine works under pressure!" Takeba shot back. Elizabeth knew exactly what she meant and she had to admit she took the loss there. While those two were busy bantering Honchkrow dove down while adding a corkscrew spin to its rapid descend.

"Watch out! That's Drill Peck!" Ash shouted.

"Rapid Spin!" Blastoise tucked itself into its shell and began a fierce counterclockwise rotation. Both Rapid Spin and Drill Peck collided, the two forces refusing to yield before they just rebounded off one another. "Are you okay?!" Blastoise nodded. Honchkrow's response was firing off another Air Cutter that pinned Blastoise down due to its ferocity. Even Takeba had to shield her eyes from the wind. "Ah! Geez…! I'm glad I choose not to wear a dress today…"

"Come on, catch that thing." Kasumi said while tapping her foot impatiently.

"I know!" Takeba replied. "Blastoise, Hydro Pump, full power!" Blastoise nodded and got down on its hands and knees, pointing both cannons forward. Each cannon unleashed a powerful jet stream of water that merged together midflight for a powerful beam that pushed through the Air Cutter and struck Honchkrow, pushing it into a tree! "Did it work!?"

Honchkrow was stunned and wet from such an impact. While Takeba was curious as to whether not it worked the others had to shout; "THROW THE BALL!" at her.

"O-Oh! Right!" Takeba tried things once again. "Go Pokeball!" This time the capsule was thrown forward without any hindrances. The capsule struck Honchkrow and opened up, dragging the Honchkrow inside. The capsule then fell to the ground, rocking back and forth as the red light dimmed off and on. A tense silence filled the area until…ding.

"…Did she…?" Kayla began.

"A-Ah…AHAHA!" Takeba grinned and rushed over to the pokeball, lifting it high into the air. "I just caught…A Honchkrow!" Blastoise joined her victory cry.

"Well I'll be damned." Elizabeth laughed.

"Hold on a moment!" Lore cut the excitement short. "When you catch a pokemon, is it not true that when you have more than six, that ball shrinks and becomes unusable?"

When Lore brought that up…it brought up some pretty questionable things into perspective. "Yeah…that's how it works…" Ash nodded in agreement.

"…Didn't you have a Linoone when we fought?" Marcus asked.

"Oh, uh…I borrowed it from my brother via the PC." Takeba explained. "After the battle I returned it. He wanted it to battle and he was the only one who knew about my whereabouts…so…."

"Now wait just a second!" Now Grace had a point to bring up. "You mean to tell me that if you beat me and went to face Marcus in the semifinals…you only would've done so with five pokemon!?"

After a long tense pause, Takeba winked and stuck her tongue out bashfully. "Yup." That simple reaction made everyone fall over comically.

"…So when does the plane to Kanto leave again?" Marcus asked.

"Uh…" Standing up, Takeba checked her phone. "…About…5 minutes ago." Once again, everyone just collapsed.

"I knew this was going to end terribly…" Kasumi shook her head. Her gaze then went off to the side and her brows furrowed. "….?"

"Something wrong? Aside from our idiot's inability to count?" Scott questioned. Takeba really didn't mind being called an idiot as long as it was with these people, because they were her true friends and the only people allowed to call her stupid. Everyone was aware of this now.

"I sense something." Kasumi replied. "It doesn't…feel very good. I'm leaving and I think you should follow unless you want to get hurt."

"You could at least try to show some compassion…" Michael grumbled before standing up. It wasn't long that an Aggron appeared from the trees, looking dazed. "…Huh? There are Aggrons in this area?"

"…That can't be right." Serena shook her head. "Aggron are usually native to rocky mountain areas…right?"

Rui took one glance at that Aggron and her eyes widened. She could see the shadowy aura flaring from around its body. Just as she noticed Aggron began to prepare an attack within its mouth. "That's not a normal Aggron! GET DOWN!" Everyone dove to the ground after Rui shouted. Aggron unleashed a Shadow Beam that nearly tore through the landscape.

"A Shadow Pokémon!?" Bonnie clung to Clemont out of fear. Squishy poked its head from the bag at the disturbance, just as surprised as everyone else to see the resurgence of Shadow Pokémon.

"I got this!" Michael shouted while holding his Snag Machine arm out, preparing to manifest pokeball. Before he could do that a massive four wheeled tank plowed through some trees from a cliff nearby, flying over the group before landing near them and more importantly; Aggron. "Huh!?"

"Watch out!" Marcus grabbed Takeba and dove off to the side to avoid the massive vehicle.

As soon as the tank landed a large tube shot forth, encapsulating the Aggron within its Shadow-Proof interior. Aggron raged but try as it might; it was unable to break free. The tube was then pulled into the large tank. Ein and his Mega Alakazam appeared at the top of the tank and the scientist seemed pleased with his efforts. "Another successful capture. Things are going swimmingly."

"EIN!?

"I knew you were still around you Ekans!" Lovrina hissed.

"Huh? Oh…" Ein turned to the group with a pleased expression on his face. "What timing. This actually saves me the trouble of having to hunt you all down. I see XD-002 has been doing well."

"…" Kasumi took a step backwards. Marcus and Grace moved in front of her, which did surprise her. "H-Huh…?"

"We're not letting him take you again." Grace said firmly.

"Oh, you think I'm just after her? No no…I plan on expanding Chiper's range. In order to ensure complete and total victory, I'm going to need a number of you. The one who can see into the hearts of others, those who'd dare mock me, the one who forgot her true purpose…and of course XD-002. Alakazam; Psychic." Alakazam's eyes shone bright, using its vast telekinetic power to take a hold of Marcus, Lovrina, Clemont, Rui, and Kasumi, beginning to drag them into the tank against their will.

"Hey! Let them go!" Ash exclaimed. "Greninja use Water Shuriken!" Greninja was thrown out of its Pokeball, entering its Ash-Greninja form almost instantly due to the seriousness of the situation. As soon as Greninja appeared it flung a shuriken towards Eizen's Alakazam, only for it to be intercepted by a powerful Hyper Beam. The explosion caused everyone to shield their eyes. "What the!?"

An Aerodactyl descended down with Ardos standing on top of it. "I will not allow you persistent children to interfere with my plans."

"Ardos!?" Lovrina tried to struggle against Alakazam's kinetic grip. "What the hell are you doing!?"

"Man, I almost forgot about you…" Michael said while narrowing his eyes.

"I haven't forgotten about you, boy." Ardos voiced his clear disdain for Michael. "I've been keeping my eyes on you just as I promised. And I told you that one day I would revive Chiper and carry on Greevil's will. I refuse to accept Chiper's resurgence by the hands of that incompetent fool."

"…Are you talking about Wes…?" Rui's glance shifted to Ardos.

"The very same." Ardos spat. "A disgrace to the Chiper name with his foolish machinations."

"D-Don't you DARE TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!" Rui's struggle started to prove a little useful as she moved her limbs a little bit. If given the chance she would've lunged at Ardos, but Alakazam's Psychic made things near impossible. "Gnk..!"

"Pipe down. We'll be starting yet another revival. Neo Chiper. And this time it WILL succeed!" Ein exclaimed. It was then that Alakazam tossed the new captives into the tank. "I'll let you all in on a little secret. Do you know why Shadow Pokémon are still roaming about? Remember when I made Mewtwo act berserk? The energy Shadow Mewtwo released did not only cause damages to the region, but corrupted many pokemon scattered throughout this land."

"So there are even MORE Shadow Pokémon roaming around now?" Takeba questioned. "No, more importantly; why don't you ever give up?! And give us our friends back!"

"We've no reason to play games with you any longer." Said Ardos. "Aerodactyl, Hyper Beam." Aerodactyl let out a roar before releasing another Hyper Beam. This beam nearly destroyed the landscape, forcing the others to take cover elsewhere. "We're leaving."

"I know." Ein flipped a remote switch and the tank began to drive off.

"Greninja, don't let it get away!" Ash commanded. Greninja nodded and hopped in front of the tank…which seemingly rolled it over.

"Oh no…!" Serena covered her eyes as the tank drove off and Ardos flew off with Aerodactyl.

"No, it's fine!" Ash said. Ash could see through Greninja's eyes at the moment. Greninja was underneath the tank, clinging with its webbed hands and feet to the bottom as it drove off. "It's driving off! We have to go after it! Is everyone okay?"

"I'll live…" Grace said while standing back up. "But we have to save them!"

"You guys go on ahead." Kayla said. "I'm going to go back to Lumiose to get some back up…! …Wait…where did Lore go?"

"Doesn't matter!" Bonnie said while pointing in the direction the tank drove off. "We have to save my brother!" It seemed that Squishy agreed with this sentiment. The creature hopped from Bonnie's pouch and began hopping forward, summoning forth several Zygarde cells to enter its 10% form, where it began sprinting.

"…That still confuses me, but we should probably follow that hound." Michael nodded to the others and they were off!

.

.

Team Rocket set up a communication channel with Giovanni. They were showcasing some strangely edited footage of Chiper and Wes' defeat, including the fatal blow from Mewtwo that, with Meowth's editing skills, make it look like they were responsible. "With that, it's safe to say that Chiper has been defeated!" James said with a large grin. "Their leader was none other than the one who defeated them before! But Team Rocket was able to crush him!"

"Shadow Pokémon mean nothing to Team Rocket's might!" Jessie added.

"So…it was all a ruse was it?" Giovanni said while inspecting the footage. He was no fool and could tell that it was edited in some fashion, but he was not going to question it and take the trio at their word. "Shadow Pokémon are dangerous. While I would like to use their power for Team Rocket…they are far too dangerous and we've not the means to control them as Chiper does. It is for the best they remain out of the picture. Good work you three." Once saying that, Giovanni cut the transmission.

"He praised us!" Meowth had a wide smile. "Just more actions like that and I'll be the one sitting on his lap again instead of that stupid Persian!"

"We're going to make it to the top!" Jessie and James sang in unison. Their song didn't last for long as the Chiper Tank plowed through nearby trees and nearly ran them over. The trio had to evacuate to the side while staring with wide eyes. "W-What the?!"

"Is that a tank!?" James asked while clinging to Jessie out of fear. Shortly after the tank passed by, a gigantic black tendril erupted from the ground. "AAAH!"

Luckily for the Rocket Trio a Shadow Ball destroyed the tendril. Mewtwo flew by for a brief second before heading in a different direction from the tank. Zygarde then ran through, paying absolutely no mind to the trio while pursuing the tank. "W-What the heck is going on!?" Jessie, James, and Meowth all said in unison.

.

.

The tank soon came to a steady halt underneath a large plane. Ardos returned Aerodactyl and got in the cockpit of the plane. The tank attached itself to the bottom of the plane and both were hidden within a cloaking device. The plane then took off into the sky. Ardos set the plane on autopilot and headed down where Ein was keeping the captives. Marcus and Rui were tied up in a corner, Kasumi had her hands tied behind her back in a chair while Clemont and Lovrina were the only two who were free, but not in the position to do much. Around them were trapped Shadow Pokémon still trying to free themselves from their captivity.

"Let us go." Lovrina demanded Ein. "Can't you see that Chiper is over?"

"Chiper will never be over as long as Shadow Pokémon exists." Ein said while adjusting his shades. "And as long as XD-002 is still operational…we can probably make some use of her."

"Why are you people so hellbent on messing with her?!" Marcus shouted. "Leave her alone! You've already done enough to her!"

Kasumi stared off at the side, frowning as being near anything Chiper related made her feel uneasy. "…I do not want to be here. Please take me back."

"…She's uneasy…" Marcus grumbled.

"Haven't you done enough?" Lovrina said. "Look at her! She's not even who she used to be anymore! Just leave her alone Ein!"

"We can do no such thing." Ardos said as he walked into the room with his arms behind his back. "I was brought up to speed on the Shadow Project. Your work is impressive as always, Lovrina."

"This is the one time I'd rather you DIDN'T compliment me on this project. I'm not proud of it." Lovrina admitted while shaking her head. "This girl is my friend…and I'm ashamed of what I've done to her."

"Nonsense." Ardos shook his head while speaking with his cold, callous tone. "This girl is quite an amazing specimen."

"She's not some tool for you to abuse! She's a human!" Clemont yelled. "Your idea of science is taking things way too far!"

"Stop and think about how the human heart works!" Rui pleaded. "She can't take it anymore!"

"Quite the opposite." Ein said while waving a hand dismissively. "While you have purged most of her heart of darkness…the null state of her heart has left her quite susceptible to it. I believe she is capable of absorbing even more Shadow Power than before…and we can spread that among her pokemon…"

"I can't touch my Pokémon in this state. They are not with me." Kasumi said.

"Hm…" Ein furrowed his brows. With Kasumi's dull tone it was hard to tell if she was sassing him or not. "Regardless…you won't be the only Shadow Trainer around this time." Ein's gaze then shifted to Clemont and Lovrina. "First…I want to change the hearts of those who dared mock my scientific process."

Lovrina's eyes widened as she was in Ein's sights. "N-Now wait a second here! I offered my assistance but your pride shoved me away! Not that I'd offer it to you now. A-Ardos, are you really going to stand by and just watch this? You can't be that heartless!"

"Your heart has changed Lovrina." Ardos said. "You used to be as cold as ice and not care about what happened to people. In order for Neo Chiper to regain its true name…the best mind must come back to us."

"B-Best mind…?" Lovrina swallowed the nervous lump in her throat.

…While Ein took offense to that. "Ardos, we've had this talk before. Besides, I'm the one who was responsible for this to begin with. Tell me…Rui was it? Do you know why Wes turned out the way he did?"

"…W-What happened to him…?" Rui was practically dying to know.

"Do you recall when you raided the Chiper Lab together in the dessert? There was some Shadow Power that seemed to have entered his system and lie dormant for a while after that explosion. You can guess where things went after that." Ein laughed at Rui's distressed face before clapping his hands. This caused a small gun to appear from the wall and it was loaded with Shadow Energy while pointing at Clemont and Lovrina. "Now then…before we begin. Do you have any last requests…?"

Clemont and Lovrina stared at each other due to the shock from the situation. Clemont sighed first and took off his glasses. "At least allow me to fix my glasses one last time…"

"And let me fix my hair. I'm not turning back into an evil witch with messy hair like this." Lovrina said while adjusting the pins in her hair.

"Very well. I can respect that." Ein nodded.

"Superficial wishes…" Ardos scoffed. Once the two were done Ardos made the command and the gun fired off a widespread beam of Shadow Power that struck Clemont and Lovrina. It hurt, noticeable by their screams of pain.

"…Please, stop…" Kasumi said while unconsciously struggling against her restraints as she watched Lovrina and Clemont suffer the same fate as she did. That was the last thing in the world she wanted…for anyone to end up like her.

.

.

Ash closed his eyes for a moment to see through Greninja's. He saw the forest below, which meant that plane was just above them. "Ah…they're close. We should head up that incline; they're passing by that cliff!"

"I'm very glad I choose not to wear heels today…" Takeba said while staring up the steep incline. "Are we going to make that in time?"

"We have to if we want to catch them." Elizabeth sighed. Without any complaints the rescue team had to hurry up the incline to the top of the cliff. All they could see upon arriving was the sky and the forest below. "I don't see anything!"

"Where are we supposed to be looking?" Grace asked Ash. "Because the open sky isn't helping."

Ash closed his eyes once again. From Greninja's view on the plane's wing, they were starting to near the cliff. "They're almost here. We're going to have to jump."

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth gave Ash the 'I don't think so' look. "Do you not see that drop right there? If we miss we're definitely dying? Why can't we just use our flying Pokémon…?!"

"They're surrounded by a cloaking device…we can't see it." Ash said. "Even if we fly we're still going to have to jump if we want to make it in time. We can't follow what we can't see…"

"He's got a point…" Said Scott. "We have to take the risk. Everyone get your fliers ready." As he said this he called out his Swanna and hopped on its back. "We only have one chance…unfortunately."

"I'm not a gambler…" Elizabeth sighed while calling out her Charizard.

"Here, you two get on." Grace said after calling out Salamance, helping Bonnie and Serena on its back before getting on herself.

"You guys are something else…" Michael laughed while getting on Swellow's back.

"Honchkrow, let's go!" Takeba called out her newly caught Honchkrow. After its defeat to her it seemed rather accepting of allowing her to hop on its back to fly. "Guys, I think it likes me!"

"I would hope so…" Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"…" Bonnie kept silent. They lost track of Zygarde during their hunt, but she wasn't worried about her Squishy. She knew it could take care of itself…but she had a bad feeling the longer they had to wait to hunt down Clemont and the others.

Without any more delay, the flying pokemon took to the sky, waiting for Ash's signal. "If we miss this jump, I'm killing you, just so you know." Elizabeth gave that warning.

"We'll be fine!" Ash didn't even flinch. After a few more seconds the plane was directly underneath them all. "Let's go!" There was one thing they had failed to anticipate, however, and that was the turbulence the rotary engines caused. The sudden wind blew everyone off balance and they just started to fall. "Gah…!"

"NOT LIKE THIS…!" Michael cried out.

Luckily for everyone Greninja was incredibly fast to act. The shinobi whipped its long tongue forward to wrap around Ash's arm and keep him from falling. This was crucial for the other flying pokemon as they could actually pinpoint a location to land once saving their trainers. Greninja was having a hard time pulling up Ash but it finally managed to do so after a moment or two. Once Ash was safe the others followed suit and landed on the wing of the plane, all pale in the face. "…I told you it'd be fine!"

"I'm pretty sure we almost just died because of some wind." Takeba frowned.

"…That's not the first time I've almost died." Michael said once he regained his composure. Such a comment made the others give him a strange look. "Hey…Gorrigan and Ardos were willing to blow up their bases just to get rid of me."

"You are the definition of a problem child." Elizabeth sighed. "Anyway…we can't stay up here for long…"

Michael's scouter activated and he took a glance around the plane. "…Wow. They've captured a ton of wild Pokémon in here, all of them Shadow. They weren't kidding about their progress thus far. But I see an infiltration point nearby. I'll take care of the Shadow Pokémon, you guys go rescue the others."

"They won't get away with this…" Serena said.

.

Ein and Ardos took a walk through the plane and Kasumi was forced to trailed behind them. Ardos still had some concerns regarding several loose ends. "The Shadow Pokémon in Miror B's custody…will we have to worry about him? I do not wish to spend extra energy hunting him down if we don't have to."

"I wouldn't worry about him." Ein waved a dismissive hand. "Miror B was never interested in the creation of Shadow Pokémon, he was merely a distributer in Pyrite. His ways have changed, but he is still the same greedy dancer I knew back then. It's likely he will just use the Shadow Pokémon to cause some havoc elsewhere, but that's hardly any of our concern. In fact it will just make him easier to track when the time comes."

"Excellent." Ardos gave a nod of satisfaction. "I want no loose ends when Neo Chiper rises."

"…." Kasumi didn't say a word. She just walked forward.

The three then walked into a large open room. In the center of this room was a gigantic glass sphere brimming with Shadow Power. "Since Miror B has taken our assets…this will be the last remaining batch of manufactured Shadow Power. We have extracted this from the Pokémon we captured…with this we can easily corrupt this entire region." Ein told Ardos proudly.

"…Will everyone end up like me, then?" Kasumi asked.

"Oh heavens no." Ein shook his head. "You were…a very tasteful prototype. Your condition thus far has proven to be very useful data. The fact you've survived even now is a miracle in and of itself…but now I know the necessary steps of what not to do, so the Shadow Trainers produced will without a doubt be stronger than you. But don't worry! You won't be alone in this operation."

"…I see." Kasumi sighed.

The door from the opposite side opened up. Ash and the others stormed through the door only to stop upon seeing Ein and Ardos. "We found you!" Ash pointed.

"How did you rats get here?!" Ein snarled only for a brief moment. "Ah…no, this is fine. You can sit and watch." With a snap of his fingers, Marcus and Rui were practically tossed into the room by Alakazam's Psychic, still tied up.

"Oof…!" Marcus grunted.

"Ouch…" Rui whimpered.

"Marcus! Rui…!" Takeba hurried over to them to start untying them, not that either Ardos or Ein minded.

"That's only two…" Scott narrowed his eyes. "Where are Clemont and Lovrina?"

"We were hoping you'd ask…" Ardos had a sick grin on his lips as Clemont and Lovrina slowly began to walk into the room. Due to Clemont's glasses and Lovrina's goggles it was hard to tell their expressions, but their slow walking was no good sign. "Say hello to Neo Chiper's newest admins."

"B-Big Bro…?" Bonnie's eyes widened as Clemont was nearly unresponsive.

"All hail…Neo Chiper…" Clemont said with a slow voice. Luxray was behind him as Lovrina's Ninetails appeared by her side.

"…." Kasumi rubbed her arm as she stared at the two of them.

"No way…" Rui bit her lip as she stared at her two friends.

"We were too late?" Elizabeth and Zoroark were ready to go if need be, but at the same time things weren't looking in their favor.

"And stupid." Ardos sent out his Aerodactyl once more, which hovered over Takeba, Rui, and Marcus while preparing a Hyper Beam. Letting Takeba get close was only a part of the plan, for now there was one hell of a hostage situation going on.

"A-A trap…?" Takeba swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Should've seen that one coming…" Marcus groaned, only because this situation was escalating poorly for them.

"Do you concede yet?" Ardos glanced at those who dared to oppose him. "It's useless to resist. We shall win."

"I don't believe that!" Ash shook his head. "There's no way Clemont or Lovrina would fall so easily to that Shadow Power! They've got stronger hearts than that! And we're here for Kasumi and the others too. You won't have your way with them anymore!"

"That's a big game you talk…" Ardos merely sighed. "You don't understand the situation you're in, do you? If you make one false step…your friends die."

"I-Is he serious…?" Serena's face went pale. The fact Ardos used the word so casually is what frightened her the most.

"…You all are just better off leaving before things get worse." Kasumi spoke up. "It's not worth getting hurt…"

"K-Kasumi…?" Grace bit her lower lip as Kasumi spoke.

"…I'm terribly sorry, XD-002…but I cannot allow anyone who associates with that boy to live." Ardos explained. Ein merely laughed while Kasumi ended up staring at Ardos.

"…I think we stepped our foot in too deep this tme…" Scott grin his teeth. They just needed a single opening…

"Ah…that look of despair plastered on all your faces." Ein let out a content sigh. "How I've longed to see that. Your defiance ends here."

"Solar Beam…" A voice whispered from the darkness. From the corner of the room, a bright beam of solar energy struck Aerodactyl's back, causing the fossil pokemon to roar out in pain as its Hyper Beam was a misfire and exploded on the side of the plane, creating a large opening.

"W-What the!?" Ardos looked around. "Who did that!?"

"Do not underestimate the power of my darkness!" Lore appeared from the shadows with his Sceptile at the ready.

"H-How did you get in here!?" Even Ein was taken aback. "Bo-Boy! Lovrina! Take care of them this istant!"

"…Well, if you insist…" Lovrina shrugged while removing her goggles to reveal her normal colored eyes, pointing at Ardos and Ein. "Ninetails, Blizzard!"

"Luxray, Swift!" Clemont too! Ninetails unleashed an unrelenting Blizzard at Alakazam while Luxray's tail released a rain of stars upon the psychic type, blowing it backwards.

"W-What!? You should be following my orders…!" Ein growled. "We blasted you two with Shadow Power!"

"Oh PuhLEASE." Lovrina said while waving her hand dismissively. "Believe it or not, this kid and I actually had a long discussion about Shadow Power. We were worried that you were still out there and would try something like this, so we crafted some anti-shadow Power devices."

"But when did you…!?" Ein was cut off.

"You're surprisingly confident." Clemont said. "When I fixed my glasses, I put the chip in to resist the Shadow Power. That didn't stop it from hurting…but it did do the trick. Rui was in on it too."

As Takeba untied Rui and Marcus, Rui faced Ein and Ardos with a bit of a confident grin. "I had to act like I saw something! These eyes can see darkness, remember? You can't see what I see."

"Sounds like you just got played." Elizabeth said with a confident grin.

"You're so smart!" Bonnie rushed over to Clemont to hug him.

"Thanks for believing in us." Clemont nodded to Ash.

"This…you insolent…" Ardos began to shake from anger. These…kids were making a complete fool out of him! He reached for a lever, grinning madly. "Then…I'll just erase you here and there!" Ein pulled the lever…and absolutely nothing happened. Clearly it was supposed to be something big judging by his mouth hanging agap. "W-What!? Where are my Shadow Pokémon?!" Just as he said that the door on the right side opened up and Michael came running through.

"Those Pokémon were not willing to be captured…but I got them!" Michael grinned to the others. The situation didn't exactly set in just yet.

"YOU…." Ardos growled at Michael. The hatred he had for Michael was unrivaled.

"Yikes…" Michael laughed nervously at Ardos. "You again? Why can't you take a chill pill! It's definitely over!"

Ash turned his eyes to the gigantic glass orb containing Shadow Power, assuming that to be the main root of Neo Chiper's revival. "It's time to shut this operation down! Pikachu use Thunderbolt! Geninja use Water Shuriken!" Pikachu hopped forward to release a powerful bolt of lightning from its body while Greninja hurled a large shuriken at the glass. Just when impact was made…the glass reflected and dispersed the attacks. "H-Huh!?"

"Nothing?" Elizabeth then gestured for Zoroark to attack, and it did so, releasing a Night Daze upon the glass sphere, only for the same result to occur. "Huh?!"

"Oh…you won't be shattering that." Ardos regained his composure. "That is the hopes of Neo Chiper's foundation…it won't break so easily. Aerodactyl, Ancient Power!" The fossil pokemon conjured up floating rocks and launched them all at everyone! These rocks exploded on contact, shaking the plane violently and made everyone tumble over.

"Agh…!" Marcus landed on Takeba. At least he had something soft to land on.

"H-Hey! Now isn't the time…!" Takeba shoved Marcus away as though he were at fault.

"We gotta break that glass!" Rui said while slowly standing up. "There's too much Shadow Power in there…if all that got out…"

"It would corrupt all of Kalos…and then some." Ein finished Rui's sentence while adjusting his shades. "Quite glorious, don't you think. But even if you were to break this glass…that energy would not just disperse. It would linger in the air and corrupt something. No matter how you slice it, you cannot win."

"You've lost three times already…what makes you think a fourth won't happen…?" Michael made his way up to his feet. He and Ardos were just glaring at each other.

"Because of this." Ein grinned while pressing a remote switch. The Shadow Power went haywire and began spreading out into the room in black electricity! The field of effectiveness spread rapidly, catching our heroes within its wake quickly. It wasn't long before they all fell to their hands and knees in an effort to drive off the Shadow Power from entering their bodies. "How does that feel!?" It wasn't just our heroes; Aerodactyl, Alakazam, Ein, and Ardos were also affected by this…but those with darkeness in their hearts felt the effects much less than those without.

"W-What on earth…" Lore groaned while falling to a knee, struggling to keep himself stable.

"I-It hurts…!" Bonnie cried out.

"T-This is bad…" Lovrina winced. She underestimated how strong the remaining Shadow Power truly was. Even with the special pin she made, it wasn't going to take very long for Shadow Power to corrupt her too! "A-Ardos…are you so serious about this…you're willing to turn all of these people into Shadow Trainers?!"

"I will go above and beyond my Father's vision!" Ardos exclaimed while walking over to the downed Michael, placing his heel atop the kid's head. "This brat sullied my father and brother's vision…now I will erase him and all who associate with him. You are the obstacles that prevent Neo Chiper's success!"

"C-Can't you do something more productive with all this hateful energy…?!" Michael groaned as Ardos' boot began to apply pressure. "Agh!"

"You won't have the luxury of becoming a Shadow Trainer. I'll crush you right here." Ardos sneered at the boy beneath him.

"I can't move…it's going dim…" Scott said while trying to keep focus.

As the darkness attempted to pierce its way through everyone's hearts…there was one person who stood firm, completely unaffected at all: Kasumi. She stared as the others were in danger. Some strange impulsive feeling came over her as she watched but felt helpless. A burden. _"None of this would be happening if I were dead…"_ She mumbled. _"I told them to leave me alone…if only they'd listen to me…then they wouldn't be hurting…but I…"_ Her hand clenched into a fist and her body trembled. She couldn't stand watching everyone suffer like that…it was the one true thing to get a rise out of her in her state.

" _What do you want to do…?"_ Diantha's words echoed in Kasumi's mind. Their talk from the other night was more impactful than she believed it to be at first.

"I…." Kasumi closed her eyes. Without even thinking she ran up to the glass sphere and put her hands on it. The black sparks of lightning began to recede and the Shadow Power within the orb began acting wildly. Black lightning began to spark around Kasumi's body as she just endured the immense pain it caused her. "Ahhh! I-I'm…I'm not going to be a burden to anyone…anymore!"

"W-What are you doing!?" Ein nearly screamed. "Step away from that!"

"K-Kasumi!" Grace was hurt, but still tried to stand back up. "W-What…you can't…!"

"She's…absorbing it into her body…!" Rui gasped. "B-But why…!?"

"If she does that…" Ardos grit his teeth.

"She's not planning to…" Ein only foresaw one outcome of this…and it wasn't good for him and Ardos.

"Hey, there's something I need to say that's been on my mind…" Kasumi spoke to the others through her grit teeth, the black sparks only intensifying around her body. "I want to thank you for believing in my and never leaving me behind…Hey…I don't think I can say it in words but…all the time we've spent together was the best."

"W-What are you saying…?" Marcus asked. "Why are you speaking like you're writing a will…"

"Hahaha…" Kasumi let out a dry laugh at such a question. She didn't feel the need to answer it. "I've always been such a burden on everyone…you guys…even Chiper unintentionally….and I really don't know how much longer my body can hold out like this…so I think I've finally realized what it is I want to do. You said so yourself, Grace…everyone can do their own thing to make this world a better place. And mine is…doing this right here, right now."

"Y-You…but!" Grace couldn't accept this. Once on her feet she ran forward, only to be pushed back by a surge of Shadow Power. "Oof! Kasumi!"

"Even though I was lost in the dark, you guys were there…you were my light." Kasumi continued. "So now it's my turn. I'll keep standing tall…I can't fall. You gave it your all for me, so now it's my turn! I'll give it my all!" Those dull eyes of hers flashed red for only a second as she continued to drain the glass sphere, pouring all of that Shadow Power into her own damaged heart. Kasumi's actions were causing damage to the plane as she directly interfered with its power source.

"A-Are we losing altitude?! Get away from that thing!" Ein demanded. Alakazam fired off a Psybeam directly at Kasumi which was a direct hit. Kasumi let out a cry of pain, but she didn't budge and just made another burst of Shadow Power push everything away from her. Ein nearly fell over and lost his shades in the process, which allowed everyone to finally glance on his shocked expression. "W-Why are you doing this…Don't you realize what you're doing!?"

"Of course I do." Kasumi replied. "All my friends are here along with every precious memory…and both just mean the world to me. And I can't stop now…I have a promise to keep."

"H-Huh…?" Grace blinked a few times.

"We should probably get out of here soon…!" Michael warned. The plane was still high in the air, but Kasumi's actions were going to change that very quickly.

"Hey, do you remember when we met?" Kasumi asked Grace and Marcus. "Grace…your will to never give up on your dreams was such an inspiration and you always saw it through. You always work so hard even if it kills you…but you don't have to worry about me anymore…and Marcus, you idiot."

"H-Huh…?" Marcus replied.

"You always fight everything in front of you without even a second glance…when you challenged Cynthia…I was so jealous. I didn't have the guts to do that…" Kasumi let out another dry laugh. "But your actions gave me courage…" As she said this she had drained most of the Shadow Power from the sphere, but she was only just beginning. "Don't stray from the paths you've made for yourselves…even if it doesn't seem like it's the right choice. You guys aren't allowed to be sad about this…because you've protected me so much, now it's my turn to protect you all! It doesn't matter when or where…all your dreams are here to stay and I won't let them fade away!" Kasumi let out a shout and that's when she began to refill the glass sphere with Shadow Power, but at a much more violent rate. This caused the alarm of the plane to blare. Ardos and Ein finally realized what it was she was aiming to do.

"She's…planning to blow up this plane!?" Ardos snarled. "This…problem child…!"

"You're one to talk!" Kasumi replied.

"So this is what you've decided for yourself…." Serena frowned. "I-Isn't there any other way…!?"

"It's okay Serena…" Kasumi said. "I want to save you all…just like you saved me. I know I've been an ungrateful brat these last few days…but despite that you all haven't given up once on me. I can only do this as my thanks…"

"You're such an idiot…" Elizabeth grit her teeth, glancing away from the scene.

"Kasumi…" Rui could see Kasumi's heart at this moment. The trigger that started this was a simple one…if only she'd realized it sooner.

Lovrina bit her lip, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. Never did she imagine that her project would end up turning into a close friend…and that friend would do this for her. "K-Kasumi…I-I'm so sorry for what I've done to you! This is all my fault! If I wasn't with Chiper then you would never…!"

"It's okay." Kasumi repeated, only this time she could feel the saline running down her cheeks.. "You guys should get out of here soon. This sappy moment isn't exactly going to work well if you all don't hurry your asses out of here, got that? Thank you all for what you've done."

"Aren't you scared…?" Bonnie asked. She didn't want things to end like this for Kasumi.

"We can get you out…!" Ash was determined not to leave anyone behind.

"…I'm terrified." Kasumi cracked a tiny smile. "But even so…I can't back down now. Even times when I'm afraid, I won't let my courage fade." Kasumi turned around, allowing Grace to see her smile one last time. "That's the promise you and I have made."

"..!" Now Grace just started crying on the spot.

"W-Why do you continue to vex us like this?!" Ein asked. "You…You're…!"

"You don't understand me at all." Kasumi then shot a glare at Ein. "You don't understand the heart at all. As long as it beats, it will never lose to you!"

"T-Tch…!" Ein growled.

"Tell my Pokémon…that I'm really sorry. I'm a terrible trainer for abandoning them…Now get out of here!" Kasumi demanded. The others didn't have a choice but to comply with her demands, calling forth their flying Pokémon to hurry the hell out of the plane as it continued to descend towards the ground. "That means you too!" She meant Ein, because Ardos had unfortunately made his own escape as well. With another pulse of Shadow Power, Ein was forcefully kicked out of the plane and fell into the canopy of trees below. Now it was just Kasumi. "Thank you for everything…I love you…" She muttered before the plane finally exploded in a brilliant flash of white light, leaving not a single trace of its existence left behind.

.

.

As the light died down, the others looked back from their flying Pokémon. The mood was very…sullen after what just happened. Grace stared down at Salamance's back before taking a look at Serena and Bonnie behind her. "Are you two okay…?"

"I'm not hurt…" Serena sighed.

"I'm okay…" Bonnie nodded.

"The others…?" Grace looked around. It seemed like everyone was okay…physically at least. Rui was riding Charizard with Elizabeth, Lovrina had her Altaria, and Lore was catching a ride with his Noctowl. All seemed well, but of course a certain blue haired maniac had to ruin the moment by trying to snipe them out of the sky with Hyper Beam. "H-Huh!?"

"What now!?" Ash asked.

That's right; Ardos continued to pursue them even after what happened! Only his patience was extremely thin as his Mega Aerodactyl was now flying at the group. "I will not let you escape! Everyone who is with that boy must perish!"

"Are you for real!? Learn to take a hint!" Takeba screamed.

"He REALLY doesn't like you, doesn't he?" Lore glanced at Michael.

"I think his hate for me has turned into a borderline unhealthy obsession…" Michael said with a sweat drop. "Can't you do something a little more productive to society with all this energy?! We can't fight him like this…!"

"Ardos, have you ever considered some anger management courses? Or…courses on how to care for human life, for that matter?" Lovrina wiped the tears from her eyes before glaring at her former comrade.

"Not in the slightest." Ardos then made his command. "Hyper Beam." Aerodactyl fired off another Hyper Beam, only a Dragon Pulse intercepted it and the two attacks exploded. "W-What?"

Eldes descended down with his Salamance, arms crossed behind his back. "Ardos…"

"Eldes…" Ardos stood up straight and cleared his throat. "I was wondering where you vanished off to. So…you would protect that child and his companions even after what was done to Father?"

"…Yes I would." Eldes said with a nod. "More importantly…even knowing what Chiper does, you are still intent on reviving them? Chiper has caused nothing but pain and suffering for all of those involved. Even when we were with them I…questioned their methods. When I heard of the Shadow Project…I knew I was right to disagree. Pokémon is a line…but people too? I could not forgive that. But brother…are you truly intending to continue on that dark path?"

"I am following Father's vision!" Ardos shouted. "It's because of that boy that our family was torn apart! Father is no longer the man he once was…and you now stand on another side. Why am I the only one who remembers what Father wanted!?"

"…." That comment really got to Michael. He imagined if he and Jovi were standing on opposite sides in a situation like this. Was it really his fault…?

"I don't think he wanted this!" Eldes shot back. "Father is a changed man now. He repents in prison for his actions…he let us escape so we could build a different future. Michael is not at fault. He helped open my eyes...and Father too. You are the only one that refuses to see the daylight ahead...stop turning your back, brother."

"The future Father envisioned…will be the one I build." Ardos folded his arms in front of him.

"That future cost me my friend!" Grace screamed. "I will NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

"One life is only a trifling subject…" Ardos scoffed. His blatant disregard for human life hurt his brother the most. "But she destroyed all we have left along with herself…I'll start from scratch and…!"

"ARDOS!" Eldes rose his voice for the first time. Even Lovrina was surprised by this interaction. These two were brothers, and yet… "What…what have you done? You are not the brother I remember…"

"I can say the same for you." Ardos retorted. "Move aside, Eldes. Because you are my brother, I will spare you. But they…they must be eliminated for my grand vision."

To that, Eldes shook his head. "I will do no such thing."

"That's a shame…" Ardos sighed before pointing his hand forward. "Aerodactyl…" Before he could issue his command a sudden Dragon Pulse from below struck Aerodactyl's stomach. The sudden impact jerked Ardos and he stared down, barely noticing that Zygarde sniped him from below. "W-What…!?" Another Dragon Pulse was fired and this one shot Aerodactyl down. There wasn't much Ardos could do but fall to the ground…and as soon as he did, he was surrounded by members of the International Police.

"We've got you now!" Looker said while cuffing Ardos. Ein had been caught as well and was currently being stuffed into a police car.

"Haha, you got arrested." Said Venus, who was also stuck in the same car as Ein.

Kayla rubbed her nose smugly as the others landed. She was with Cynthia and Diantha for extra backup just in case, but luckily their assistance wasn't needed as well. "Ha! I told you I'd be back in time!" Glancing around, she realized they were one short. "…Hey…where'd Kasumi go…?"

.

.

Those who were absent from the scene were caught up on what happened. To say the very least the news was incredibly shocking. Diantha was the first to speak. "I see…so what's what she decided…"

"We were careless…" Looker was placing the blame on himself. "If we had only managed to capture Ein sooner…the only reason we got so far so quickly is because we happened to spot Mewtwo floating above. It dropped Ein down for us."

"This is all my fault…" Grace wept into her hands. "I-I was always so hard on her for what happened…I…

"It's not your fault…" Rui patted Grace on the shoulder. "You know at the end…those dark chains around her empty heart loosened. Watching all of us hurt…or maybe it was just you two…I think that was what unlocked her heart from her own darkness. That's why she decided to do that…"

"As herself…?" Marcus mumbled. "She always has to make things so difficult…"

"…At least we can say that Chiper is finally finished now." Michael sighed. "I don't need any more of that in my life…"

"I wanted to ask you about something…I know it's a bad time…" Looker looked to Lovrina, Rui and Michael. "But Miror B is still at large…and there are some Shadow Pokémon roaming about because of what happened. The International Police asks that you join our forces so we can focus on gathering up the Shadow Pokémon as quickly as possible."

"That's fine." Lovrina said with a nod. "It's partially my fault…so I want to make up for what I've done."

"I'll do anything I can do help." Rui nodded.

"Yeah, same…" Michael replied.

"And how are the rest of you feeling?" Cynthia asked.

"Not good…" Ash admitted. "I just wish we could've helped her…"

"You keep saying that…" Cynthia began. "But from what you've told us…she wanted to help you. I know it's never easy to agree with such a decision but…"

"But it's what she wanted." Grace finished. "It wasn't like she didn't have a choice…but she just chose to do it…for us…"

"Are you okay with that…?" Clemont asked.

"Not…particularly…" Grace admitted. "But she…she did save us. Perhaps more than just us…and she smiled at the end. That meant she was content with her decision…I can't bring myself to hate her for it even though I disagree….but I know she doesn't want us to dwell on it…! So I'm going forward with a smile…just as she wanted…!"

"Me too…She'd slap me if I frowned now." Marcus responded with a forced smile of his own. It wasn't easy…but things regarding Kasumi never were.

"Are you two going to be okay…? You knew her the longest…?" Serena voiced her concerns.

"We'll…manage…" Marcus said while rubbing the back of his head. He did feel a little better with Takeba's attempt at comfort. "But if we all mope around…she'll definitely be upset with us. She lit up the path for us…so to speak."

"That's one way of putting it…" Lore laughed a bit. "She truly was a brave soul."

"I'm sure you can do it." Cynthia said while standing up. "She has faith in you too." Cynthia then turned her attention to Elizabeth. "…I know things aren't happy right now. But the plane to Sinnoh will be leaving soon…shall we get going? I booked us seats for first class."

"…." shut down as Cynthia spoke to her. Cynthia had…no idea what she did wrong. "Huh…? D-Did I do something wrong…? I-Is this normal?"

Takeba sighed and went over to Elizabeth, placing her hand around her mouth to move her lips and mimic her voice. "Oh yes, my darling Cynthia! I would love nothing more than to sit next to you on the plane! My bags are already packed and I'm ready to leave at any time! Oh, to be in the radiance of my most…!"

"Okay okay that's enough I think she gets it!" Elizabeth was embarrassed. That was the second time Takeba basically called her out again. That was enough to get a laugh out of everyone despite the situation.

"I'm gonna miss you guys…" Bonnie said.

"Oi…Ash…" Marcus extended a fist out to the trainer he called his equal. "Next time we battle…I'll definitely be beating you, got that? No holding back."

Ash grinned slightly at Marcus' words. He gave Marcus a bro-fist and nodded. "We'll be waiting for your challenge anytime!"

"Do you two just think about fighting?" Grace chided the both of them.

"They're hopeless…" Lovrina sighed.

"Yeah…you were all something else all right…" Kayla said while playing with her hair.

"Why don't we all take a picture?" Serena suggested. "So we can remind ourselves to be happy…for her sake?"

"That's a great idea." Rui clasped her hands together and nodded.

"Who will take it?" Scott asked.

"…I wouldn't mind." Looker said. Serena handed him that camera so quickly he wasn't prepared, but everyone began to gather up for one commemorative photo. "You've all done so much to help us, this is the least I could do."

"You two come in too!" Ash ushered Cynthia and Diantha into the picture. "You helped too."

"If you insist…" Diantha offered a small smile while entering the picture alone with everyone else.

Once everyone was in position Looker had to adjust the camera a little to fit everyone in. It was a pretty big group after all. "All right…everyone say cheese." They all grinned and did just that. Looker pressed the button and a flash briefly shone through as the picture was taken. A picture that showed a group of friends that went through many hardships together to topple an evil organization twice. Their paths would diverge from this point on…but it was likely they'd see each other again. Such was the world of Pokémon, after all…and that path that Kasumi made for them, they'd be certain to make the most of it.

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Pokémon: The Shadow Project: End.

Thank you all for reading this very long adventure. It turned out much longer than I thought it would, but I do hope you all enjoyed! There may be a sequel in the future, but not at the moment. I would love to hear what you like/disliked about this and your favorite characters and why! They may make a return sometime in the future…


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